


Otherworldly

by That_is_right



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Bath Sex, Bathtubs, Bottom Galo Thymos, Condoms, Cuddling & Snuggling, Developing Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Finding Nemo (Movies) References, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Getting Together, Hand Jobs, Implied Mpreg, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Intersex Galo, Kissing, Literal Sleeping Together, Loss of Virginity, Love Confessions, M/M, MerMay, MerMay 2020, Merperson Galo, Minor Character Death, Nipple Play, References to Drugs, Scars, Swimming, Top Lio Fotia, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Virgin Galo, Virginity, Walking In On Someone, Writer Lio, afab language, he's a merperson so i took some liberties with his junk, not anymore yeet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:01:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23980507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_is_right/pseuds/That_is_right
Summary: The beach is, quite possibly, Lio’s favourite place in the world. There’s nothing better than finding a deserted stretch of the coastline to explore. He loves the salt on the breeze, the thundering and crashing of the waves, the soft sand underfoot. It’s the best place to escape from the stress of daily life.That's until he spots the body lying on the sand.
Relationships: Gueira/Meis (Promare), Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 12
Kudos: 135





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've seen a ton of stuff about MerLio, but almost no MerGalo, so I decided to give that a shot and switch things up a little bit! 
> 
> Also, just a quick warning here: Galo has a dick and a vagina when he's in his merperson form. He's not trans, he just has both sets of equipment. There's no mpreg, but he and Lio make good use of both sets of junk in chapter 4. I use some neutral language and some AFAB language.

The beach is, quite possibly, Lio’s favourite place in the world. There’s nothing better than finding a deserted stretch of the coastline to explore. He loves the salt on the breeze, the thundering and crashing of the waves, the soft sand underfoot. It’s the best place to escape from the stress of daily life.

It’s also a good place to write. Lio can bring a notebook out with him on a sunny day, and just let his pen run, uninterrupted, across the page. The words always seem to flow better out in the fresh air, and the sun on Lio’s skin never fails to put him in a good mood. 

Today, Lio climbs up onto his favourite rocky outcrop. It sits above the rest of the beach and offers the perfect vantage point to look out over the ocean. Everything feels endless up here. The water stretches as far as Lio can see, and he can almost see the curve of the Earth along the horizon. It makes him feel small. Out here, all of his problems are insignificant. For however long Lio spends looking out over the ocean, he feels free, weightless.

That’s until he spots what looks like a body lying on the sand just a little further down the beach. Lio is off the rock and running towards it before he can think to do anything else. The rational part of his brain is screaming at him to stop and call the police. He’s spent enough time listening to true crime podcasts to know that he’ll probably end up being a suspect if he leaves any trace of himself on the scene. Plus, he doesn’t want to live with the trauma of discovering a body in whatever state a murderer might have left it in.

But despite all this, Lio can’t help but think that, if this person is still alive, he might be able to do something to help them. He might not have time to wait for emergency services to arrive. Lio doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life wondering if it was his lack of action that left this person to die. He can’t afford the amount of therapy he’d need to deal with that. 

Lio drops down onto the sand beside the body. It’s a very naked man, and from a glance, it certainly doesn’t look like he’s been brutally murdered. There doesn’t appear to be a mark on him. He’s lying strangely still on the sand, so Lio leans forward to listen for a pulse.

He nearly jumps out his skin when the man beneath him speaks suddenly.

“What are you doing?”

Lio scrambles backwards. 

“What I am doing? What are _you_ doing?” Lio asks. “You were just lying on the ground. I thought you were dead!”

The man laughs. “Oh, no, I’m not dead! I’m just catching my breath.”

Lio bristles. “Well, then, find a way to rest that doesn’t make it look like you’re dead! And put some fucking clothes on!”

The man looks down at himself and grins. “Huh, I always forget about that. My bad!”

Lio watches as the man raises one of his feet and laughs as he wiggles his toes. He seems entirely too delighted by the sight of his own foot. Lio wonders if this guy has hit his head on something. He’s responding to Lio and talking just fine, but there’s just something _off_ about him. Who the hell lies down, _butt naked_ , on the water’s edge to catch their breath?

“Do you need help or something?” Lio asks.

“Nah, I’m ready to go now! I’ll see you later!”

And with that, he stands up unsteadily (Lio desperately looks everywhere other than where he _really_ wants to look), and dives into the water. He pops up above the surface a couple of times, steadily moving further out, and then seems to vanish over the horizon.

Lio stares after him for a moment. What the _hell_ just happened? What was Lio supposed to do now? Did that idiot just get swept out to sea? Should Lio call the police? He seriously considers it for a moment, until he realises that he has no idea what he would even tell them. Yes, hello, I just found a naked man taking a nap on the beach, and then he swam out to sea.

Lio suspects he might just get arrested for wasting everyone’s time.

He keeps looking out over the water for a few more minutes. Part of him is waiting to see if he can catch another glimpse of the strange man. After a little while with no sign of him, it doesn’t look like Lio is going to get the chance. Apart from the waves lapping gently against the shore, the ocean is still. There’s no sign of a naked man with blue hair. 

* * *

Unsurprisingly, neither Meis nor Gueira believes Lio’s story about the man on the beach. He finds them both in the living room when he gets home and immediately launches into his story. Gueira is the one to break the stunned silence. 

“Lio, I’d love to get some of whatever it was you were smoking today,” Gueira laughs.

“I’m telling you, that’s what I saw!” Lio protests.

Meis rubs his chin. “Maybe the beach guy was the one smoking something weird. Gueira, you always want to get naked when we smoke weed.”

“That’s because I get horny! I don’t just get naked for the hell of it!”

Lio screws his face up. “I do not need to hear the finer details of your sex life. I hear enough through the wall at night as it is.”

“I’m sorry, Lio, but Meis just does this thing with his tongue—”

“No! Nope! Not listening!” Lio shouts, throwing his hands over his ears. “I’m going to do some work, and I will be wearing noise-cancelling headphones. Do whatever you want.”

Meis and Gueira grin widely at each other, and Lio makes a hasty retreat to his bedroom before he has to see or hear anything else that might scar him for life. 

* * *

Thoughts of the man on the beach haunt Lio for days. Sometimes Lio does wonder whether the whole thing was a strangely vivid daydream, but he stomps those thoughts out quickly. It wasn’t a hallucination, and it wasn’t a dream, it was _real_. Lio's not going crazy, he knows what he saw. 

Lio finds himself drawn back to the same spot on the beach. He doesn't actually think he'll find the man again, but he has to try. He wanders up and down that stretch of sand, hoping for the smallest sign that what he saw was real. After about an hour of waiting, Lio gives up and makes his way down the rougher part of the beach. He climbs up and over rocks and stones until he reaches a little alcove surrounded by cliffs on both sides. No-one ever comes out here. It’s a dangerous climb across the slippery rock, and the sand is always wet from the spray of seawater. It’s a great spot to sulk without company.

So, since Lio thinks he’s completely alone, it’s quite a surprise to hear someone speak to him.

“Hey, it’s you again!”

Lio lets out an undignified shriek and looks around wildly. There! Half-submerged in the water, it’s the guy!

“Wha—what? How are you here?”

“I live near here,” he says simply.

“No, I mean, how did you get _here_. No-one ever climbs out here.” Lio says.

The man laughs. “I know! It’s why I come out here; it’s always quiet. Besides, I didn’t climb out here, I swam.”

And with that, he props himself up on the rock in front of him. Lio finally catches sight of the lower half of his body. It’s a tail. A _mermaid_ tail. There are definitely no legs there today. The longer Lio looks at him, and the more that Lio notices, the stranger he seems to get. His ears, fingertips, and teeth are pointier than they should be, and his skin has a strange shimmering quality to it. His left arm is covered in scars; something Lio also hadn’t noticed last time. Well, if this guy could magically hide a tail, a bunch of scars should be no problem. 

“I don’t normally talk to humans, but you seem nice. I see you here all the time.”

Lio stares, open-mouthed. He wants to say something, but he can’t seem to force his throat to cooperate. 

“I’m Galo, by the way. I don’t think we got around to introductions the last time we met.”

“Uh... I’m Lio...” Lio trails off breathlessly.

“Nice to meet you again, Lio!” Galo says brightly.

Lio tries to think of something, _anything_ , to say to Galo, but he’s coming up short. He can’t tear his eyes away from the tail just beneath the surface of the water. How is this even happening? Lio hasn’t touched any drugs since he saw Galo the first time (not even paracetamol after he slammed his hand in the bathroom door), so he doesn’t think he’s seeing things. Then again, maybe Gueira has been slipping hallucinogens into the milk again. That sort of humour is a bit juvenile for Meis, but it wouldn’t be the first time Gueira has done something so stupid.

“Are you okay?” Galo asks, snapping Lio out of his thoughts.

“I think I’m going crazy,” Lio says. “Mermaids aren’t real. You can’t be real. Did I slip and hit my head on a rock somewhere? Is this heaven?”

Galo grimaces. “Well, if you want to be technical, I’m more of a merman than a mermaid. I like the term merperson, myself. And I’m beginning to suspect I might have given you a lot to deal with all at once. Sorry.”

“You think?” Lio nearly shrieks. He runs his hands roughly through his hair and then takes a deep breath. “Okay, hang on, just give me a second. I’m just a bit overwhelmed.”

“Sorry. I should probably have warmed you up to this, somehow.”

Lio laughs. “I don’t think there is any way you could have prepared me for the reality that merpeople are real. Oh my god, I’m talking to a merperson. I don’t even care if this isn’t real, it’s going to give me so much to write about.”

At the mention of writing, Galo’s easy-going smile vanishes. “You... you aren’t going to tell anyone else about me, are you?”

“Oh, no, don’t worry. Well, technically I told my roommates about you, but that was before I knew you weren’t human, and they wouldn’t tell anyone anyway. They didn’t believe me before, and they definitely wouldn’t believe me now, anyway.”

“We’re just not really supposed to talk to humans,” Galo explains. “That doesn’t normally go well for us.”

“Cross my heart, I won’t tell anyone about you,” Lio promises. Then, he laughs. “I’m sorry, I just can’t believe this is actually happening. You’re something out of a fairy-tale, and you’re just here, talking to me. Why would you want to talk to me?”

Galo shrugs. “I see you around here all the time. Most humans just walk along the beach or go for a swim, and then they’re gone. You're here all the time, and you just watch the water. Why do you do that?”

“It’s relaxing. I like the way that the salt smells, and I like the feel of the wind in my hair, and I like the way that the waves crash into the shore. The ocean is just so _endless_. There’s something powerful about it.” Lio smiles as he talks, and then blushes. “But you probably don’t want to hear me ramble about the ocean.”

Galo smiles. “No, no, I like it.”

“Have you met many humans?” Lio asks, curious.

Galo shifts uncomfortably. “Not really.” He doesn’t elaborate. Lio decides not to push it.

“I’d like to say you’re the most interesting merperson I’ve ever met, but you’re the only merperson that I’ve ever met, so I don’t really have much to compare you to.”

Galo laughs at that. “I’m not very interesting, anyway. Even for a merperson.”

That’s when Lio’s phone rings, interrupting them. “Hang on,” Lio says, fishing it out of his pocket. It’s Meis. “Give me a second, I need to answer this.”

Galo looks confused but doesn’t interrupt him.

“Hey, Meis, what’s up?” Lio asks.

“Lio, where the hell are you? I thought you were going to help me with dinner tonight.”

“Oh shit, what time is it?” 

“It’s past six.”

“Oh shit, okay, I’ll be back in like half an hour.”

Lio hangs up and slides his phone back into his pocket.

“What was that?” Galo asks, curious.

“Oh, it’s just my phone,” Lio pulls it back out and holds it out for Galo to see. “It’s a way to talk to other people.”

“Wow! Humans come up with the coolest stuff!” Galo says.

“I’m sorry, Galo, but I have to go. My roommate wants me back.”

“Oh,” Galo’s smile falls. "You're probably pretty busy." 

“If you want, I can come back. I mean, I’d come back anyway, since I like the beach, but I can come back to see you. If you want.” Lio offers. He's not even sure why he's promising to come back and visit a terrifying creature of the deep. Not that Galo is terrifying. If anything, he just seems like a friendly person looking for some company.

Galo brightens right back up. “Yeah! That would be awesome! I’ll keep an eye out for you; I usually hunt around here anyway. Do you want to meet here again? There’s less of a chance someone will see me. Or I can shapeshift again, but you’d need to bring me some clothes.”

“So that’s how you had legs when I saw you the other day!”

“Well, yeah. I can change from looking entirely human to looking like this, but this is more comfortable.”

“That is so cool,” Lio says. “Okay, yeah, we’ll just meet here again. I guess I can bring clothes if you want them. Do you want to shift again? I don’t really mind either way.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it, then. It’s easier to stay in this form, and it’s not like I need legs to talk to you.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Lio nods.

“Well, have fun doing human things. I’ll see you later!” Galo gives him a cheerful wave, and then pushes off his rock and vanishes beneath the water.

Lio carefully climbs back towards the main beach area. He looks back once before heading back into town. Lio could swear that he catches a glimpse of a tail rising out of the water and then vanishing beneath a wave.

* * *

When Lio bursts into their apartment, Meis is standing at the stove, stirring away. He raises an elegantly sculpted eyebrow. “Where have you been?”

For a second, he wants to tell Meis the truth about the naked man on the beach, but then he remembers his promise to Galo. Lio trusts Meis not to tell anyone other than Gueira, but he told Galo that he wouldn’t tell _anyone_. He’s not about to immediately break that promise.

“Sorry, I was writing at the beach again. I lost track of time.”

It’s not a complete lie. Lio was at the beach, and he certainly wasn’t looking at the time. Meis doesn’t have to know that he spent the afternoon looking for, and then in the company of, the most gorgeous merperson that Lio has ever met. Well, Lio hasn’t met any other merpeople, but he’s willing to bet that none of them would be as gorgeous as Galo.

Meis rolls his eyes. “Why am I not surprised? Anyway, Gueira is still at work, but he’ll be back in half an hour or so. We’re making curry.”

“Ooh, is it the one with chickpeas again?” Lio asks.

“Yes, of course. You act like I always forget that you’re a vegetarian, now.”

“I'm just checking!” 

“Okay, keep stirring this, I need to start opening cans,” Meis says, handing Lio the wooden spoon.

Lio manages to burn his hand on the stove as he daydreams about the way that Galo’s skin shimmered in the sun.

* * *

Lio goes back to see Galo the very next morning. He hopes it doesn’t make him look too desperate. He takes a journal and pens anyway, so he can at least pretend that he was going to the beach to write. 

Lio climbs back over the rocks to their meeting spot and pulls out the journal. It’s a good way to write about Galo. Paper won’t secretly upload his writing to the internet for advertisers or the government to see. He can write all he wants, and he never has to worry about where it might end up. Say what you want about the ease of digital word processors, there’s nothing quite like the simplicity of pen and paper.

Galo only takes about an hour or so to emerge from the water. Not that Lio's counting. He drapes himself over a rock and grins at Lio. “Back so soon?”

“It’s not like I have anything better to do,” Lio says, trying his best to sound cool and aloof. Judging by the look Galo gives him, he isn’t successful.

“I can’t blame you for not being able to stay away from me. I am pretty good company.”

“And so modest,” Lio says dryly.

“You got it!” Galo chuckles. “So, what are you doing?”

“I was just killing some time with writing.”

“What sort of stuff do you write about?”

Lio shrugs. “Lots of things, really. It depends on how I’m feeling on the day. Or who’s paying me.”

“What were you writing about today?” Galo asks.

Lio blushes. He certainly doesn’t want to admit that he was writing about Galo. “Uh, just some poetry. What have you been doing today?”

“Not a lot. I caught breakfast, and then I made my way back over here.” If Galo notices Lio’s sudden change of topic, he doesn’t mention it.

“What do you usually spend your time doing? Do merpeople have jobs?”

Galo chuckles. “Nah, and I’m on my own anyway, so I spend most of my time just exploring and looking for food.”

“Are there no other merpeople around here?”

Galo shrugs. “Probably, but we don’t have much to do with each other. I lost my parents when I was young, and I don’t have any other family, so it’s almost always been just me.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Lio says.

“It’s fine. It was a long time ago.”

“I don’t see my parents anymore, either. They’re still alive, but we don’t really get along.” Lio explains. He’s not sure why he’s spilling his life story to someone he met less than a week ago. Then again, it’s probably safer than talking to anyone else. It’s not like Galo is going to go out and tell anyone.

“Why wouldn't you get along with your parents?”

“They wanted me to go back to school and get a degree. I just wanted to fuck around and figure out what I was doing with my life first. One day, they decided that they'd had enough of me besmirching the family name, and told me not to bother coming home.” 

Galo huffs. “Well, they sound like assholes.”

Lio bursts out laughing. “Yeah, they really are. It’s fine, I live with my friends now, and I don’t have to deal with my parents anymore.”

“Are they the friends you told about seeing me on the beach the other day?”

“Yeah, Gueira and Meis. They did not believe me at _all_. I’m not going to tell them the truth about you, don’t worry. But if I did, their reactions to that would probably be hilarious.”

“I mean, you took it a lot better than I thought you would. Humans aren’t particularly aware of who they share the world with.”

“Is there other stuff out there that we don’t think is real? Like vampires?”

Galo snorts. “Why were vampires the first thing you thought of?"

“I don’t know! It’s just the first thing that popped into my head!” Lio says defensively. “They feature very prominently in literature!”

“Well, I haven’t ever actually seen a vampire, but apparently they exist. Or so I’ve heard.”

“Huh,” Lio breathes. “I’m discussing the existence of vampires with a merperson. How does this even happen?”

“Fate? Destiny? Maybe we were destined to meet and then save the world together.” Galo suggests.

“From what?”

“Uh... overfishing? It’s a serious problem; it makes finding breakfast so much more time consuming for me.”

Lio snorts. “Okay, when I come up with a way to fight overfishing, I’ll be sure to tell you.”

* * *

Before Lio knows it, he’s spending at least a couple of hours with Galo every day. It's not like he's lonely; he has Meis and Gueira. He’s just having fun getting to know Galo. That being said, it certainly doesn’t hurt that Galo is absolutely gorgeous.

The more time they spend together, the more apparent it becomes that Galo really isn’t human. Obviously, Lio knows that Galo isn’t human, he’s seen Galo’s merperson form with his own eyes. There are just lots of little features that mark Galo as otherworldly that Lio only starts to notice after he really starts looking.

Galo’s teeth are wickedly sharp, and his claws even more so. His ears have little fins along the top, and he has webbing between his fingers. Any skin that isn’t covered in scales has a strange shiny quality that only becomes obvious in the sun. Galo doesn't glitter or sparkle (this isn't a tacky paranormal romance), rather it looks like his entire body is covered in an invisible layer of scales. It only becomes obvious in bright light, and Lio finds himself captivated by the subtle gleam of Galo's skin and tail in the sunlight. 

Lio learns a lot about Galo from the time they spend together. Galo can shift between his human and merperson forms with ease, but regardless of how he looks, he doesn’t like to be completely dry for very long. He eats raw fish and enjoys the challenge of cracking open mussels and oysters. Sometimes, when he can get his hands on clothes, he’ll shift and spend a few hours exploring the human world. His favourite colour is green, and he likes listening to the music that people sometimes play on the beach. He has a second set of clear eyelids so he can see underwater without getting anything in his eyes. And, fittingly, he thinks that if he could have any job in the world, he'd be a firefighter. 

Galo tells Lio all about the world of the merpeople. He says that they come in all shapes, sizes and colours, and that they live all around the globe. Galo’s particular shade of blue is more common amongst nomadic merpeople since it helps them swim in the open water without being spotted. Some merpeople are a bit like sharks, and never stop growing, reaching enormous sizes in their old age. Some live in the very depths of the ocean, hunting their prey like anglerfish. There’s lots of variety in their tails, too. Galo’s is very simple, and he’s considered a bit plain. Others have elaborate patterns and colours, and some even look like the bodies of dolphins or sharks. They usually go to great lengths to avoid interacting with humans, but they're not always successful. After all, merpeople have featured in the legends of humanity for years. ("Practically everything that features in your legends is real. Humans aren't as imaginative as they like to think they are.") 

Lio loves listening to Galo talk. Part of him is fascinated by stories of a world that he never even knew existed. Mostly, he just enjoys listening to Galo's voice. Galo doesn’t have a particularly deep voice, but it’s vibrant and expressive. Lio could listen to Galo talk for hours on end without ever getting bored.

Now, Lio knows that his crush on Galo is starting to get out of hand. Galo is gorgeous, and he's easy to talk to, and he is rapidly becoming the highlight of Lio's day. Lio realises that it probably isn't wise to become infatuated with a creature from the deep. He needs to calm down and cool off, before he starts becoming seriously attached to Galo. 

And that is something that he quickly realises is easier said than done. 


	2. Chapter 2

“Let’s go swimming!” Galo says. It’s the first time he’s suggested it since they started hanging out. Until now, they’ve been content to sit on the rocks or sand and talk. Lio is surprised it took this long for it to come up, honestly. Galo is a sea creature, and they're literally right beside the sea. 

“I didn’t bring anything to swim in,” Lio gestures to his jean-clad legs.

“Just take ‘em off and leave them on the rocks. It’s not like there’s anyone around to steal them.”

Lio supposes he has a point. He won’t admit it out loud, but he’s been dying to see Galo in action in the water. How fast can he swim? What does his hair look like, fanning out around his face under the water? Does his skin still gleam like it does when it's dry? 

Lio snaps himself back to reality. He glances around quickly, and when he doesn’t spot anyone else around them, he starts stripping off. He pulls his shirt and jeans off, but keeps his underwear firmly on. Galo might not have been bothered by his own nudity the first time they met, but Lio is a little bit more self-conscious. He leaves his clothes draped over a rock and then walks forward into the water. Despite the warmth of the day, the water is cold, and he hisses as he submerges his stomach and chest.

Galo vanishes beneath the water and then pops up again where the cliffs lead out to the open ocean. “Come on!”

Ignoring the chill, Lio pushes away from the sandy ground beneath his feet, and then he’s treading water. He paddles after Galo until they’re out past the edge of the alcove, out in open water. Galo dives under the water and swirls around Lio. Lio watches the graceful curve and sway of Galo’s body and tail as he swims. He really makes it look effortless. Lio can't help feeling slightly jealous, since he’s never been a particularly good swimmer himself. He can keep from drowning, and he can move from point A to B, but that’s about it. 

Galo resurfaces. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just don’t spend a lot of time swimming,” Lio admits. "I'm a bit out of my element." 

Galo swims closer and takes one of Lio’s hands in his. “Don’t worry, you’re doing fine. Even if you run into trouble, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Lio feels some of his anxiety melt away at the reassurance in Galo’s voice. “Okay. Thanks.”

“Do you want to stick around here? We can go deeper if you want.”

“Uh, can we just stay here for now?”

“Sure thing! Look, I’ll show you how high I can jump out of the water!” Galo says, and then he’s vanishing beneath the water again. Lio loses sight of him down in the depths, and suddenly he’s erupting out of the water and into the air. The sun makes the scales on his tail shine, and Lio wouldn’t be able to take his eyes off Galo, even if he tried.

Galo drops back into the water with a mighty splash, and resurfaces a moment later, shaking his messy blue hair out of his eyes. “You wanna try?”

Lio laughs. “I don’t think I could clear the water, even if I tried.”

Galo thinks for a moment. “What if I threw you?”

“What—” Lio’s question turns into a scream as Galo sweeps him up and then effortlessly tosses him into the air. Lio shrieks and flails in the air before dropping back into the water with all the grace of a spider wearing rollerblades. That is, not very graceful at all. 

When Lio resurfaces and sees the way that Galo is laughing, he knows he can’t stay mad for long. But a good splash of water to Galo’s face might make him feel better, anyway.

* * *

“I was thinking,” Galo murmurs.

They’re lying on the rocks under the heat of the sun. Lio has abandoned his attempts to write, too distracted by the sight and company of Galo.

“That explains the burning smell,” Lio teases.

“What burning smell?” Galo asks. Lio can practically see the joke fly right over his head. It’s kind of endearing.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just a human saying. What were you thinking about?”

“You’re not a strong swimmer, so you probably can’t come and see where I live. I was wondering if I could see where you live instead.”

Lio sits up and looks down at Galo. “Really? You’d want to hang out with me on land?”

Galo smiles brightly. “Well, sure! I like hanging out with you here. I’m curious about what the rest of your life is like.”

“Do you not need to stay near the ocean?”

“I just need to be in contact with water every so often, and any sort of water will do. I can take lots of showers.” Galo shrugs. “I can’t be away from saltwater forever, but I’m not going to shrivel up and die after just a few hours.”

“We have a bath in our apartment,” Lio muses. “It’d mean that you’d probably be able to change back if you wanted to.”

“Sounds perfect! Let’s go!” Galo pushes himself into an upright position.

“Wait, you need clothes, first! You’ll get arrested if you try to walk back to my apartment naked, and I don’t want to deal with that. I don’t think I’ll have anything that will fit you, but I’ll see what I can do. I’ll bring it all with me when I come back tomorrow.”

“But that's such a long time away!”

Lio fights the urge to roll his eyes. “It’s not that long. You’re just impatient.”

Galo lies back on the rock with a huff and closes his eyes. “Ugh, fine. I'm just excited. Honestly, I’m kind of looking forward to meeting your roommates. They sound fun.”

Lio groans. “We’ll have to come up with a story for how we met. If I tell them that you’re the naked guy I saw on the beach, they’ll probably assume you’re a serial killer or something.”

“If you’re a fish, I’m a serial killer,” Galo points out, and they both burst out laughing.

* * *

Lio doesn’t make a habit of buying oversized clothing, so he has literally nothing that will fit Galo. Stupid, gorgeous, massive body. When he goes through Meis and Gueira’s stuff, he realises that he’s out of luck there, too. Unless he wants to take a sheet or a dressing gown for Galo, he’s going to have to go out and buy some clothes. 

Meis catches Lio as he's ferreting through his wardrobe. “What are you doing?”

“Looking for a jacket,” Lio lies smoothly. 

Meis frowns but doesn’t ask any other questions.

Lio makes a quick trip into town and buys a floral shirt and some pink shorts, plus a pair of jandals and underpants with an eggplant pattern. Together, it’s the most ridiculous outfit Lio has ever seen, and he has to take a moment to calm down and stop laughing before he can pay for them. 

Lio takes his purchase back to the beach for Galo, and watches with morbid curiosity as Galo shifts from merperson to human. He’s not sure whether it’s fascinating or horrifying. It’s definitely not every day that you watch someone’s tail split apart to allow a pair of human legs to emerge. Lio carefully averts his eyes once Galo has shifted completely. Lio might be thirsty, but he respects privacy, thank you very much. 

Galo’s a bit wobbly on his feet at first, but he manages to get dressed without incident. Somehow, he manages to make the obnoxiously colourful outfit look good. It matches his bright, bubbly personality perfectly, and it’s making Lio’s stomach feel all funny and tingly. 

“How do I look?” Galo asks, giving Lio a twirl.

Lio tries not to stare at the way that the shorts cling to Galo’s shapely ass. “Great. Awesome. Shall we get out of here?”

“Lead the way!”

The beach is only about 20 minutes’ walk from Lio’s apartment, so he never bothers taking the bus. Plus, the weather is good, and the walk gives Lio a chance to show Galo around the neighbourhood. Galo isn’t a complete stranger to the human world, but apparently it's been a while, so he’s easily distracted by things like colourful window displays and traffic lights.

There’s just too much to take in, and Galo spends the entire trip watching everything but where he’s walking. He’s just lucky that he has Lio to steer him safely around poles and through traffic.

Lio’s apartment is in a tall, imposing building, and Galo takes a moment to marvel at the height of it as they approach. They go past a handful as people as they come into the entrance hall, and Lio takes great amusement in the weird looks that they give Galo and his eccentric outfit.

Once they get up to their floor, Lio leads Galo back out of the building to the corridor that leads to his apartment. It’s along the outside of the building, so they have an uninterrupted view of the city below. Galo leans over to see more, and quickly retreats once he realises how high the 15th floor actually is.

“Scared of heights?” Lio teases.

“Well, it’s not like you’re ever going to fall and die in the ocean. You can’t even normally see this far down; the sun doesn’t reach that far. This is weird.” Galo keeps himself pressed firmly to the side of the building. "Please don't let me go splat." 

“Well, as long as you don’t lean all the way over, you’ll be fine,” Lio reassures him, but Galo stays well away from the barrier, regardless. “Come on, we’re just a little further along.”

Lio lets them into his apartment, and they’re greeted with silence. “Meis? Gueira?” Lio calls. It’s still quiet. “They must be out.”

“Wow, this is awesome!” Galo says, taking in the room around him.

Their apartment is a hodgepodge of their personalities and hobbies. Lio has covered the walls in the paintings and prints that he’s collected over the years. He also leaves a trail of paper and pens wherever he goes, and his plant collection is slowly spreading to every room. Meis uses the entire apartment as storage for his hair products and make-up, so there are always hair ties and make-up brushes lying around. Don’t even get Lio started on all the glitter that seems to multiply on its own. Gueira is a bit of a hoarder, and so he has all kinds of crap scattered around. His current obsession lies in music, so there are CDs and records tucked into every nook and cranny. An old record player sits proudly in the middle of the dining table, the pride and joy of Gueira’s collection.

And all of that is just the living room. The other rooms are just as bad. To put it bluntly, their apartment is a complete disaster. They’d tried the minimalism thing before, but that barely lasted a day before the clutter returned. 

“It’s a bit of a mess, sorry,” Lio says.

“No, no, this is great! I like it, it’s exciting!”

Lio snorts. “Wait till you see the mess in the rest of the apartment. You’ll get tired of it real quick, trust me. Here, I’ll give the grand tour.”

Galo follows Lio around as he shows him through the kitchen, and then into the bathroom. “And here we have the bath and shower. You can use them whenever you want, just be careful about shifting back into your merperson form when Gueira and Meis are around. The lock on the door broke ages ago, so there is the possibility that someone could just burst in at any moment. Gueira, especially, is really bad at knocking.”

“Right, got it,” Galo nods.

Lio leads him back out into the corridor. “Meis and Gueira have the room down the end, and this is mine.”

He opens the door and ushers Galo inside. Lio’s room, like the rest of the apartment, is far from tidy. Along one wall, there’s a massive corkboard that Lio uses to plan his writing projects. There are about a million pieces of paper pinned to the board, and many more strewn over the floor and desk. There are houseplants scattered around too, taking up the windowsill and bedside table. 

“Will I ever get to read any of the famous Lio Fotia’s writing?” Galo asks. “You obviously do a lot of it.”

Lio blushes when he thinks of the poetry that he’s written about Galo. “Yeah, uh, maybe.” 

Galo flops down onto the bed with a sigh. He pats the space beside him, and Lio perches awkwardly on the edge of the bed. Now that they’re here, Lio realises he hasn’t exactly planned anything for this hangout. He’s not even entirely sure what it is. Are they just hanging out, as friends? Is this a casual date? Is that something he should have clarified earlier? Lio might be freaking out, just a little. 

“So... do you want to do anything?” Lio asks. “We could go into town, or we could wait for Meis and Gueira to get back and then we could all watch a movie together.” 

“Ooh, let’s all watch a movie! Can we get pizza? I haven’t had pizza in _years_.” Galo pleads, unleashing the most pathetic pout Lio has ever seen in his entire life.

“Yeah, yeah, just stop looking so miserable,” Lio chuckles. Galo perks up immediately.

“You’re the best!”

Lio can’t help the blush that steals over his face at that comment.

* * *

They spend a few more minutes just talking in Lio’s room before they hear the front door open.

“Hey Lio, you home yet?” Gueira calls.

“Yeah, we’re in my room,” Lio shouts back.

Meis whistles. “You two better be using protection!”

Lio groans. He turns to Galo. “I told them we met online. I should probably warn you now; they think this is a date.”

Galo looks confused. “Is it not?”

Lio chokes. “Huh?”

It’s Galo’s turn to blush now. “I thought that was what we were doing.”

Lio stares dumbly at him for a second. “Do you want this to be a date?”

“Do _you_?”

“Uh. Yeah, I think so.” Lio says shyly.

Galo smiles. “Well then, happy official first date, Lio.”

Lio smiles right back and knocks their shoulders together. “Do you want to go and meet my roommates?”

“Let’s do it!”

Lio leads him out of his room and into the living room. Gueira smirks at them, and Meis eyes Galo suspiciously.

“Guys, this is Galo. Galo, this is Meis and Gueira.”

“Nice to meet you!” Galo says. He gestures between himself and Lio. “We met on the internet!”

Lio rolls his eyes. Well, that had been their story.

“Hello, Galo from the internet,” Gueira holds out a hand for Galo to shake. He appears to wince at the strength of Galo’s grip.

“Do you guys want to order some pizza and then watch a movie with us?” Lio offers.

Meis snickers. “How cute, it’ll be like a double date. No sex on the couch.”

Gueira gives him a look. “You know for a fact that we do not adhere to that rule.”

Lio sighs. “For the sake of my own sanity, I’m going to pretend that I didn’t hear that.”

“Yay, pizza time!” Galo cheers.

* * *

It’s Gueira’s turn to choose a movie, and in a hilarious coincidence, he picks Finding Nemo. Galo cries unashamedly at the beginning (between devouring slices of pizza). “I thought you guys said this was a happy movie!”

“How have you not seen Finding Nemo? Where the hell have you been?” Meis asks incredulously.

“Stop bullying Galo,” Lio interjects before Galo can say something incriminating. “He’s a sensitive soul.”

Lio doesn’t end up paying that much attention to the movie. He’s sitting next to Galo, but there’s a slight gap between them, and it’s driving Lio insane. This is a date, right? Surely, he must be able to get away with some tasteful canoodling. He’s just not sure how to initiate it. The yawn, stretch, then hand over the shoulder method is way too lame. Plus, Lio suspects that he’s not tall enough or long enough to physically be able to do it.

He keeps glancing up to look at Galo’s face. This particular time, Galo catches him and smiles down at him. “You okay?”

Lio just hums. He decides to throw all caution to the wind right there and shuffle a little closer to Galo, who promptly wraps an arm around Lio and gives him a quick, gentle squeeze. Lio sighs happily and leans his head against Galo. Somehow, although Lio had been paying literally no attention before, he manages to pay even less like this. Galo is warm and reassuring against him, and Lio is soothed by the gentle movement of his breathing. 

Galo is crying again by the end of the movie. “They get to be a family now!” He sobs.

Gueira grins. “And there’s a second one about finding Dory’s family now, too.”

Galo gasps. “Can we watch it? Please, please, _please_!”

And that’s how they get roped into watching Finding Dory, too. No one stands a chance against Galo's pout. Just a few minutes into the movie, Galo shifts uncomfortably and then abruptly stands up. “I’m going to the bathroom, don’t wait for me.”

He’s away for a few minutes and then comes back with wet, floppy hair.

“What were you doing in there?” Gueira asks, confused.

“Having a shower,” Galo says simply.

Gueira gives Lio a weird look, but Lio just shrugs, and they all go back to watching the movie. Lio likes watching Galo’s hair dry. It lies flat when it’s wet, but then it fluffs up in a truly spectacular manner as it dries. If Lio didn’t know any better, he’d assume that Galo spent hours every day putting product in it to achieve the look. There has to be a magical component to Galo's hair. Nothing just defies gravity like that on its own. 

Lio shuffles in close to Galo again. This time, when Lio leans against him, Galo rests his head atop Lio’s and nuzzles into it. Lio hopes that Galo can’t feel the way that his heart is racing at the simple contact.

Galo ends up crying at the end of Finding Dory, too. Lio can’t help being absolutely charmed by him. He’s such a sweetheart, and Lio is beginning to realise that he might just be a little bit in love with him.

* * *

They spend the rest of the day hanging out with Gueira and Meis. There are definitely times that the two of them mess with Galo and he has absolutely no idea, but it’s never mean-spirited, and they all get along swimmingly. When it starts getting dark, Lio ducks back into his room to put his favourite hoodie on. He returns to find Galo and Gueira competing to see who can get the most marshmallows in their mouth at once. Meis is cheering them on in the background.

After Gueira nearly chokes to death, and then Galo almost chokes because of how hard he’s laughing at Gueira, Lio wonders if he’s made a mistake introducing Galo to his best friends.

They end up ordering pizza again for dinner, and Lio ignores the look of judgement that he gets when the same delivery guy shows up with their second order of the day. Once an ungodly amount of pizza has been consumed, Meis and Gueira return to their room, and Lio and Galo to theirs.

“Do you want to go back to the beach?” Lio asks.

Galo groans from where he has dropped onto the bed. “Please don’t make me move, I might explode. I live here now. Just dump a bucket of water on me when I start getting dry.”

Lio blushes. “You can stay for the night if you want. We’d probably both fit in my bed, just as long as you don’t flail around in your sleep.”

“Wait—really?” Galo asks.

“I mean, we don’t have to. I could take the couch—”

“No, no, I can’t make you take the couch! I’ll be a perfect gentleman; you won’t even notice I’m here.” Galo promises.

“That would be good,” Lio says, and he doesn’t miss the way Galo’s face falls slightly. “But, uh, if you didn’t want to be a complete gentleman, that would be okay, too.”

“Can I kiss you?” Galo asks earnestly. It’s blunt and sudden, and Lio definitely appreciates Galo’s straightforward attitude.

Lio doesn’t even respond, he just leans forward and presses a quick kiss to Galo’s lips. He pulls back slightly to look at Galo. A rapid blush is spreading over his face, and he’s staring at Lio’s lips. Galo is the one to lean forward this time, and he reaches up to thread his hands into Lio’s hair, gently keeping Lio’s lips against his own. Lio breaks away after a couple of minutes of messy kissing to gasp for air.

“Wow,” he breathes. Galo laughs.

“Yeah. Who knew my first kiss would taste so much like pizza!” Galo says.

“That was your first kiss?” Lio asks.

“Well, yeah. I don’t really have much to do with other merpeople, and you’re the only human I’ve ever really hung around long enough to get to know.” Galo says. He pauses, looking unusually nervous. “Did I do okay?”

“You were great,” Lio assures him. "Kind of amazing, actually."

Galo exhales. “Okay, good. I was worried about that. I don't really have much experience.”

Lio reaches up to smooth a hand through Galo’s hair. “Look, even if you were a terrible kisser, I’d still enjoy it, because I’d be kissing _you_.”

Galo laughs breathlessly. “Lio, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you _like_ me.” 

Lio gives him a playful smack on the shoulder. “Shut up.”

“Lio likes me! Lio likes kissing me!” Galo declares loudly, and Lio leans forward to shut him up with another kiss. He pushes Galo back down onto the bed beneath him.

“You’re a menace,” Lio says fondly. Galo beams up from where he’s lying below him.

“Yeah, but now I’m _your_ menace, and you’re _never_ getting rid of me.”

“I like the sound of that,” Lio says, pressing a soft kiss to Galo’s forehead. “Do you need another shower before we go to sleep? Or will you be okay?”

“Nah, I think I’ll be fine. If I start feeling dry, I can just have a shower later.” Galo says. “Cuddle with me?”

“Let’s go brush our teeth first. If I lie down now, I won't be getting up again. And if you think pizza breath tastes bad, just wait until you experience morning breath.”

Despite his petulant groan, Galo gets up and follows Lio into the bathroom. Lio digs around in the cupboard and takes out the spare toothbrush. He gives Galo a blob of toothpaste and laughs at the look on Galo’s face when he tastes it. Mint probably isn’t something that one comes across in the middle of the ocean very often. Lio doesn't even particularly like the strong taste. 

Next, Lio gives his face a quick wash and then follows Galo back to his bedroom. Galo stretches out across the bed as Lio rummages around his drawers.

“I don’t normally wear pyjamas, and even if I did, I definitely don’t have anything that’ll fit you. You might just have to sleep in your underwear, sorry.” That apology is, quite possibly, the biggest lie that Lio has ever told. He’s definitely not sorry that he might have to spend the night with Galo in his underwear. It is one _hell_ of a view. 

Galo strips off without shame, and Lio watches just as shamelessly. When Galo is splayed out over Lio’s bed, clad in nothing but those stupid eggplant briefs, Lio quietly thanks any deity that might be listening for leading him to stumble across Galo on the beach that day.

“I don’t really understand the point of having secret pants underneath your regular pants,” Galo muses. “Why make clothes if you’re going to have to wear extra clothes under them?”

Lio snorts and starts pulling off his own clothes. He can feel Galo’s eyes on him, and it almost makes him want to shy away and hide. But when Lio catches sight of the awe in Galo’s gaze, he decides he doesn’t mind the attention. He might even go so far as to say he enjoys it.

Lio kicks his pants off and climbs onto the bed beside Galo, pulling the blanket up and over them. He reaches over and switches off the lamp on his bedside table, and then the room is dark. The moon shines through the window, and Lio can just make out the way that Galo is looking at him. Galo lies on his side, resting his head on one hand. 

“Can I touch you?” Galo asks, slightly breathless.

“Yeah,” Lio whispers. It feels like such a quiet, fragile moment. Lio doesn’t want to break it by being too loud.

Galo brings his spare hand up and very gently runs it across Lio’s waist and stomach, then over his chest and up to his throat. “You’re so warm.”

Lio doesn’t know what to say to that, so he just hums. Galo trails up Lio’s throat, skimming along his jaw, sliding back to his hair. He threads his fingers through Lio’s hair, smiling widely the whole time.

“Having fun?” Lio asks.

“Yeah. You’re really pretty.”

Lio splutters at that. “Pretty?”

“Yeah. You have really nice eyes.”

Lio feels himself blush furiously, even more so when Galo traces the hot redness on his cheeks.

“Stop messing with me,” Lio grumbles.

“Lio, have you seen yourself? I’m not messing with you; I think you’re gorgeous.” Galo speaks without reservation, without fear. His openness and honesty is refreshing. 

“I think you look good too,” Lio says, awkwardly unsure of himself. He’s normally better with words, but writing and speaking are entirely different. He has all the time in the world to edit and craft his writing. Conversations are fast and fluid. There isn’t time to sit and try the same sentence three different times. It doesn’t help that just by existing, Galo turns his brain to mush. Lio's usual eloquence is nowhere to be seen. 

But, despite the lack of finesse in Lio’s compliment, it makes Galo’s smile even wider. It’s hard to tell in this light, but Galo might be blushing too. Galo leans forward to kiss Lio again, and Lio eagerly loses himself in the feeling of Galo’s lips. He relishes in the feel of Galo's breath against his skin, in the warm of Galo’s body pressed against his own, in the feel of so much bare skin pressed together.

The only sound in the room is their breathing and the wet sounds of their mouths moving together. Occasionally they’ll break apart and gasp and laugh together before diving right back into the kiss.

It’s like nothing that Lio has ever experienced before. It’s even stranger when he thinks about the fact that the man in his bed technically isn’t a man. Not that it matters, really. Galo has proven himself to be excellent company. He’s sincere and open, never afraid of telling Lio how he really feels or what he thinks of something. He’s not from Lio’s world, but he’s eager to learn and adapt. He makes Lio laugh, and they always have the best conversations. He makes Lio happy. And, really, that's all that matters. 

Lio breaks away from the kiss with a gasp. Galo makes him happy like no one else ever has. Lio rests his forehead against Galo’s, watching the way that Galo watches him right back. Galo’s lips are wet from Lio’s tongue, and they're stretched wide in a smile. 

Lio has always been a bit of a lone wolf. Meis and Gueira are the only people who ever managed to worm their way into Lio’s life and offer him true companionship. But, looking at Galo now, Lio can imagine them spending the rest of their lives together. Usually, this is the sort of thought that would make Lio want to run for the hills. But not with Galo. Being with Galo is unlike anything else he has ever felt. It’s terrifying and exhilarating and reassuring, all at once, and he can’t get enough of it. They've barely known each other for a few weeks, and Lio can't imagine being with anyone else ever again. 

Lio shudders and flops back onto the pillow.

“Everything okay?” Galo asks quietly.

“Yeah. I’m just really happy.”

Galo's smile softens. “I’m glad.”

“You want to come here and cuddle now? Or are you going to leave me hanging?” Lio teases.

“I thought you’d never ask!”

Galo lies back down and shuffles closer. He tucks his head under Lio’s chin, nuzzling into the soft skin of his neck. He wraps an arm around Lio and throws a leg over him too. Lio is well and truly trapped, and there’s nowhere he’d rather be. 

So much for getting over that crush. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know whether I need to warn for this, but I will anyway. After Lio and Galo go back to bed, Lio has a dream of being buried alive (because Galo is big and squishing him). It's super brief and is only in that one paragraph.

Lio is woken by screaming.

He jolts upright, and then notices that he's alone in the bed. A quick glance around the room tells him that Galo isn’t in here at all. The hysterical screaming, which is coming from down the corridor, continues.

Lio is out of bed and tearing down the hallway in an instant. Generally, hearing screaming in the middle of the night isn't a good sign. But, when you're sort of harbouring a merperson that your roommates don't know about, it's especially worrying. 

There is light coming from the bathroom, which appears to be where all the commotion is coming from. Lio almost runs into Meis coming out of his own room, and they burst into the bathroom together. Lio’s eyes have barely adjusted to the bright light before someone barrels heavily into him.

“Guys, it’s a fucking sea monster!” Gueira shrieks hysterically. It appears that he is the source of the high-pitched screaming. If Lio wasn't so stressed out, he'd be impressed by the pitch that Gueira is able to hit. 

"Gueira, cut it out! The neighbours are going to call the police." Lio snaps. He peers around Gueira to see Galo lying in the bathtub, tail and all. 

“Lio, I’m sorry, I didn’t think anyone else would be awake!” Galo says desperately.

“What the fuck is happening?” Meis almost has to shout over all the noise that Gueira is still making. 

“He’s a sea monster!” Gueira shrieks again.

“He’s not a fucking sea monster, calm down,” Lio snaps. “I might have left out a few details about Galo, but he’s not going to hurt you.”

“This has to be a dream. There is no way that the guy you met online is a fucking mermaid.” Meis says.

“I’m a mer _person_ , thank you very much,” Galo calls from the bathtub. “And I can still hear you.”

“You guys remember that random naked guy I found on the beach? The one I said randomly vanished into the water?”

Gueira’s jaw drops. “You’re kidding.”

“I went back a few days later, just to see if I could find something that proved that I wasn’t going insane,” Lio explains. “Galo has a human form that he can switch into, but this is what he looks like normally. I bumped into him again, and he made me promise that I wouldn’t tell anybody.”

“So why is he here?” Gueira asks.

“ _He_ can hear you, you know,” Galo interjects. “I get all dry and crusty when I don’t spend enough time in the water.”

Meis nods. “It’s like when you don’t moisturise after you wash your face.”

“Uh, I’ll have to take your word for that,” Galo says. “I don’t think I’ve ever used moisturiser.” 

“Meis! How are you so calm about this?” Gueira asks. “You’re talking to a _merperson_ about skincare!”

“It’s not like I can talk to you about it! When was the last time you used anything other than 3 in 1?”

“Hey! It’s convenient having shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in one product!”

Meis and Lio both shudder at that.

“Can we all just get back on topic! We have something that isn’t supposed to exist sitting in our bathtub. Is this the start of our lives as fugitives? Are a bunch of guys in black suits about to burst through the door and arrest us?” Gueira asks.

“No one else knows about Galo, and unless we want to attract a bunch of attention that we really don’t want, Galo has to stay a secret,” Lio says firmly. “I am not fucking around here; I really am not in the mood to fight the government, but I will if I have to. You guys both know I’d do it.” 

At that, Meis laughs. “Only you, Lio, would end up with a merperson for a boyfriend."

Lio ignores Meis's teasing and goes to sit on the edge of the bath. “You okay?”

Galo nods. “Yeah, I just didn’t expect Gueira to come barging in on me. The screaming was a bit unexpected.”

“How was I supposed to know you were in here? You hadn’t even turned on the lights!” Gueira protests. "You're lucky all I did was scream." 

“You could have knocked? Like a civilised human being? I’ve been a human for way less time than you, and even I know that’s something you’re supposed to do!” Galo says.

Meis snorts. “If you think Gueira knows the first thing about being a civilised member of society, you are sorely mistaken.”

Lio’s loud laughter doesn’t quite manage to mask Gueira’s indignant squawk. Lio watches the way that he and Meis start arguing playfully, and then looks back to Galo. He certainly looks a bit out of place in their bathtub, but certainly no less beautiful than usual. Lio reaches out and trails his fingers gently along Galo’s shoulder. Galo looks up at him and smiles.

“Your roommates are weird,” Galo says, but he's smiling. 

“We’re not going to rat you out, Galo, don’t worry,” Meis says.

“Sorry about the screaming. I was half-asleep, and I panicked.” Gueira says.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s kind of my fault; I should probably have waited to shift till I got back to the beach. I can shift back now if you want. I’m about as moist as I need to be, anyway.”

“Please don’t say moist,” Lio groans.

“Why not? I am moist.”

“Yeah, Lio, why shouldn’t we say ‘moist’?” Gueira snickers. Meis laughs along with him.

“You’re terrible, and I hate you all.”

“But not me, right?” Galo asks, batting his eyelashes.

Lio sighs. “No, not you. You’re not quite as terrible as everyone else.” He runs a hand through Galo's hair. It's wet and limp, which always makes it seem much longer than usual. 

They smile fondly at each other for a moment. Gueira and Meis start making exaggerated retching noises behind them.

“If you guys think this is gross, wait until we start having sex. You’re finally going to get a taste of your own medicine.”

That shuts them up. It makes Galo blush too, which is always fun.

“Anyway, I want to go back to bed. Do you want to stay here, or are you coming with me?” Lio asks.

“I’ll come with you. I was about to get out anyway when Gueira came in.”

Galo frowns, and then his tail is shifting and shrinking. It still makes Lio’s stomach roll a little bit to watch it split apart into legs again. Then, he realises that Galo is completely naked in front of Gueira and Meis.

“Okay, you’ve had enough of a show, it’s time for you two to go!” Lio announces. He hops off the edge of the bath and gives them both a shove out the door. It looks like Gueira is about to say something, but Lio pulls the bathroom door shut before he gets the chance.

“Well, that’s one way to tell your roommates about me,” Galo chuckles.

“Yeah, well, it was probably bound to happen sooner or later. Gueira really doesn’t ever knock. Like, ever.”

Galo climbs out of the bath, and every intelligent thought that Lio has ever had vanishes from his brain. Galo is beautiful as a merperson, and he’s just as stunning as a human. Of course, when Galo is a human, Lio gets a full view of everything that he’s packing. And there is a _lot_ to see. Lio might even be drooling, he’s not sure. 

“You having fun there?” Galo teases.

Lio promptly snaps out of his horny daze and slaps his hands over his eyes. “Sorry!”

“It’s fine. I’m not really bothered by the whole ‘being naked’ thing. I mean, technically I’m naked all the time in my other form. I guess it’s kind of different with the whole exterior genitalia thing.”

“Genitalia is the least sexy word in the history of words,” Lio says.

“Is it worse than moist?”

Lio groans and Galo laughs from where he’s standing somewhere in front of him.

“You can look. If you want to.” Galo says.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I mean, we’ve already established that we’re attracted to each other, right? I trust you, Lio.”

Lio opens his eyes and exhales shakily. Galo is standing before him, still completely naked, and still absolutely _beautiful_. He’s broad and muscled, and this time he hasn’t bothered to hide the scars on his arm. Lio steps forward and touches his left shoulder softly.

“You’re not hiding them.”

Galo shrugs. “I’m not really bothered by them, but I know that other people probably think they’re ugly. I can hide them if they’re making you uncomfortable.”

“No, no,” Lio says quickly. “I mean, they don’t make me happy, but I like knowing that you trust me with them.”

“I trust you with everything, Lio.”

It’s right then that Lio realises that he is definitely in love with Galo. He doesn’t know what to say in response to Galo, so he settles for reaching up to pull Galo’s face down for a fierce kiss.

Galo gasps into the kiss, pulling Lio tightly against him. Lio relishes in the feeling of all that naked skin up against his own. After all, he’s still only wearing a pair of briefs. Galo’s skin is still wet from the bath, and Lio shudders when he feels Galo’s dick pressed against his stomach.

“You want to come to bed now?”

“We should probably get a towel, first,” Galo points out.

“Right, yes. Towel. Wet.” Lio pulls his towel off the rack and reaches up to rub it over Galo’s head, easily messing up his slicked-back hair. He pulls it off, and his hair is sticking up in every direction. Lio can’t help laughing at the sight of it.

Galo yanks the towel out of his hands and messes up Lio’s hair too, before running it over Lio’s chest and stomach.

“I got your underwear all wet,” Galo says. “You should take them off.”

Lio gasps dramatically. “Did you get me wet just so I would get naked?”

Galo smirks. “That’s devious, I wouldn’t do that!”

Lio rolls his eyes but decides to humour Galo anyway. He steps out of his underwear and throws them into the corner. Galo’s eyes roam hungrily over Lio’s body, even though he hasn’t really exposed that much more skin. Lio likes the way that Galo looks at him. It makes him feel a little bit nervous, but excited too. He trusts Galo, he wants Galo to see him. 

“You’re really pretty,” Galo breathes.

Lio snorts. “You said that earlier.”

“Yeah, well, it’s still true.”

Lio steps forward and wraps his arms around Galo’s middle. “You’re really pretty, too,” he says quietly.

Galo hums and presses a kiss to the top of Lio’s head. “I’m really glad you saw me on the beach that day.” 

“You never did tell me what you were actually doing.”

“I was sunbathing. I figured that if I fell asleep, and someone came across me, I’d be safer in my human form.” 

“And you fell asleep, huh?”

“Maybe.”

Lio snorts. “You’re an idiot. But that was a relatively smart idea.”

“So I’m a smart idiot, huh?” Galo laughs.

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

Galo huffs. “Let me finish drying you off. You keep distracting me.”

Lio takes a small step back and stretches his arms out to make Galo's job easier for him. Galo finishes drying Lio’s shoulders and then drops down onto one knee to dry Lio’s stomach and legs. Lio can feel his dick twitch at the sight of Galo down on his knees in front of him.

Galo gives his thigh a playful smack. “I’m trying to dry you off, stop being horny.”

“You don’t need to be that thorough; I’m not that wet. You don’t need to try so hard, you’re just teasing me now.” 

Galo stands up and throws the towel over his own shoulder before cupping Lio’s face in his hands. “You are _always_ worth all of my effort.”

Lio feels himself blush again. He brings his own hands up to rest over Galo’s. “Can I dry you off now?” He asks, for lack of anything better to say.

Galo just nods and leans forward so Lio can properly dry his hair. He gives it a quick rub and then moves to his shoulders and chest. Galo stands up again, and Lio makes his way down Galo’s stomach and then kneels to get Galo’s legs.

“Oh, I can see the appeal now,” Galo says. 

“Who’s being horny now?” Lio teases. “Turn around, I need to get your back.”

Lio towels off the broad expanse of Galo’s back and ass, giving the latter a generous groping as he goes. Galo lets out a gasp but doesn’t move away. Lio doesn't think he imagines the way that Galo presses back into Lio's hands. 

“Okay. You want to come back to my room now?” Lio asks.

Galo turns around with a smirk. He suddenly looks like the predator that he is, and it makes Lio think of sharp teeth and powerful claws. The thought of being at Galo’s mercy just adds to the level of arousal thrumming through Lio’s body, and Lio isn’t sure what that says about his priorities. 

“Yeah, before Gueira bursts in again. I don’t share.”

Lio shivers at the casual possessiveness in Galo’s voice. He takes Galo’s hand and pulls him down the corridor and back to Lio’s room. Lio is very glad that they don’t bump into Gueira or Meis along the way. He’d never hear the end of it if he got caught breaking the ‘don’t be naked in shared spaces’ rule. Out of the three of them, he's the only one that has a clean record, and he intends to keep it that way. 

Galo follows Lio into his bedroom and climbs back into bed as Lio shuts the door behind them. Lio turns around and takes a moment to appreciate the sight of a naked Galo in his bed. His hair is a mess, sticking up messily. In the light of the moon, he looks ethereal. There are still a few spots of moisture on him, and they gleam in the low light. Just as Lio takes Galo in, Galo takes Lio in, too. Lio's heart beats rapidly at the way that Galo watches him walk over to the bed and slide in beside him. 

“Hey,” Galo whispers.

“Hey.”

“Did you want to...?” Galo trails off, but Lio knows what he’s getting at.

“What were you thinking?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t really done this sort of thing before.”

“You’re a virgin?” Lio asks.

“Well, yeah,” Galo shrugs. “I’ve spent most of my life alone. I'd never even kissed anyone before we met." 

“Right, yeah, I forgot. In that case, do you want to take things slower? I’d be perfectly happy just going to sleep if that’s all you wanted.” Lio offers.

“No, no, I want to! I just really don’t know what I’m doing.” Galo says quickly.

“Can I touch you?” Lio asks.

“Yeah. Go for it.”

Lio sits up and swings himself over Galo until he’s sitting on Galo’s thighs. He trails his hands across Galo’s slim waist and inwards until he’s resting his hands above where Galo’s pubic hair starts. That, too, is blue, just like the rest of Galo's body hair. Lio can't explain why that appeals to him as much as it does. 

“Is this still okay?”

“Definitely,” Galo says breathlessly.

Lio keeps one hand against Galo’s lower stomach and trails one hand along his cock. It’s rapidly hardening under his touch, and soon it slaps up against his stomach. It’s big, which really isn’t a surprise, considering how big the rest of Galo is. It’s way bigger than Lio’s cock, and he can barely wrap his fingers all the way around it. Lio wants to taste it, but he decides to save that for another time. Galo gasps as he starts a steady rhythm, stroking up and down with one hand, and teasing across his stomach with the other.

“Oh my god, this feels so much better than when I do this on my own,” Galo gasps. He shudders as Lio continues slowly jerking him off. “Oh my god.”

“You having fun?” Lio asks.

“Yes, holy fuck!”

Lio snorts. Galo goes from staring helplessly up at Lio to scrunching his eyes closed and whining desperately. It’s a fantastic view, one that Lio could definitely get used to.

Lio shuffles his hips forward slightly until he can press his own erection against Galo’s. He takes his spare hand from Galo’s stomach to help him press their cocks together and jerk them both off at once. He ruts himself against Galo’s cock as he slides one hand up and down their lengths.

Galo groans when he notices what Lio is doing. “Oh my god, Lio, I think I’m literally about to explode. This is _so_ good.”

“You like that?" Lio purrs. "You gonna make a mess for me?”

Galo just groans and nods frantically. He lets out little hitching gasps with each slide of Lio’s cock against his own, and Lio revels in each and every one. Galo’s hands fist in the sheets, and if it weren’t for Lio’s weight keeping his hips pinned to the bed, Lio imagines he’d be moving around a lot more. Lio likes the fact that he's keeping Galo pinned underneath him. Galo is easily big enough to escape any time he wants, but he _lets_ Lio take control, and Lio can't imagine anything sexier. 

Lio’s entire body feels like it’s burning with desire for the man below him, and he lets go of their cocks to lean forward and kiss him. Galo whines at the loss of Lio’s hands, but eagerly wraps his arms around Lio and starts desperately grinding their hips together. Their mouths meet in a messy kiss. It’s wet and uncoordinated, and their teeth clack together once or twice, but it’s everything that Lio has ever wanted. He whines into Galo’s mouth as Galo’s powerful hips thrust into his, and their cocks slide and grind deliciously against each other. There's no grace to their movements anymore, they're both just chasing sensation. 

Lio leans back slightly to speak. “Fuck, Galo, I’m going to come.”

“Me too. I’ll race you?” Galo asks, a playful glint in his eyes.

Lio can’t help but laugh at that. Of course Galo would turn this into a race, into a _game_. Lio’s laugh quickly morphs into a moan as Galo thrust his hips up with increasing force, and Lio can feel the steady approach of his own orgasm. Galo’s skin is hot and smooth against his own, and the tight squeeze of his cock between their bodies is exactly what he needs. 

Lio feels Galo come first. Suddenly, everything is wet, and the grind is suddenly slick and slippery and _hot_ , and Lio lets out a high-pitched whine before he’s adding to the mess between their bodies too.

Heat builds up in his stomach and quickly spreads throughout his body. Lio’s orgasm rips through him, and if spontaneous combustion were possible, Lio imagines that this is the sort of thing that might cause it. He keeps grinding slowly against Galo, sliding his cock through the generous helping of Galo’s cum. Nothing has ever felt so good, and Lio wishes it would last forever. 

For a moment, he can’t hear or see anything. For all Lio knows, he’s floating in the void of orgasmic bliss. He gasps and lets himself flop down onto whatever is below him as he catches his breath.

As Lio regains feeling, he notices the way that his body raises and lowers with the passing of air through Galo’s lungs. Below him, Galo’s stomach and chest heave with each inhale and exhale. Lio is wet and sticky, and he feels sweaty at every point that he is touching Galo. It's kind of gross, but Lio has never felt better. 

Galo lets out a weak laugh.

“Fuck.”

Lio laughs. “Fuck, indeed.”

“But seriously, _fuck_.”

Lio opens his eyes and looks out over Galo’s chest. He wants to push himself up to look at Galo, but his arms feel like jelly. Instead, Lio runs a hand over the sweaty expanse of skin. “So, how was that for a first time?”

Galo tightens his grip around Lio and presses a kiss to Lio’s head. “That was perfect. It was amazing. Oh my god, I think my dick exploded.”

“What a way to go,” Lio snorts.

“Totally worth it. If I died right now, I’d die a happy man.”

“Don’t die, please. Your body would be a nightmare to get rid of.” Lio teases. He pauses, and quietly adds: “And I rather like your company.”

Galo lets out a shaky exhale. “I rather like your company, too.”

Lio hums and closes his eyes. In the wake of his orgasm, he realises just how tired he is after being woken by Gueira’s screaming in the middle of the night. Forget tired, he’s _exhausted_. 

“We need to clean up,” Lio says, but he doesn’t move. Galo doesn’t move either.

“We’re all sticky," Galo points out, as though Lio isn't acutely aware of all the fluids clinging to their naked bodies. 

“And you just got all clean, too.”

“We could jump in the bath again,” Galo offers, and Lio doesn’t think he’s imagining the suggestive tone in Galo’s voice. His dick jumps where it's trapped between their bodies, and for a moment, Lio is ready to see if he's capable of a second round. 

“As good as that sounds, I do not relish the thought of having sex in that bathroom and being walked in on. You might enjoy showing your ass off to my roommates, but I’d rather avoid it if I can.”

Above him, it sounds like something is shifting against the fabric of the pillow. It seems like Galo is nodding. “You should only show your ass off to me.”

“Do you have a possessive side that I didn't know about?”

“Maybe.”

Lio smiles. He likes the idea of someone wanting him enough to be possessive of him. He especially likes the idea of Galo being possessive of him.

“Okay, you stay there, I’m going to get a washcloth,” Lio says. He forces himself to get up and off Galo, practically dragging himself back out to the bathroom. He washes himself off quickly and then heads back into the corridor with the damp cloth. 

Lio slides into bed beside Galo and starts wiping the mess up off Galo’s stomach. It’s hard to tell in the light, but Galo’s cum almost looks like it has a pearlescent quality to it. It’s pretty. Lio can’t help but run his fingers through it, and then bring a finger up to his mouth to taste it.

“Lio!” Galo gasps. “That’s gross!”

“It’s salty. Like, way saltier than usual.”

“Well, I live in saltwater. That kind of makes sense.” Galo points out.

“Huh. Yeah, I guess.”

Lio finishes wiping up the rest of Galo’s cum, which takes a little while because there is a _lot_ of it. Lio wonders if that’s normal for Galo, or if it’s just because it was his first time. Lio shivers, excited by the knowledge that he has the time to find out.

He tosses the cloth across the room, just narrowly missing his laundry basket. He briefly considers getting up to put it away properly, but ultimately decides that’s way too much effort. Instead, he shuffles into bed and encourages Galo to wrap himself around him. Lio doesn’t typically like being the little spoon. He’s all too aware of the fact that he’s shorter than the average person, and he certainly doesn’t like drawing attention to it. But with Galo, he just feels safe. He feels wanted. Loved, even. He likes the feeling of Galo wrapped around him. 

“Goodnight, Galo.”

“Goodnight, Lio. Thank you for, you know, tonight.”

Lio chuckles. “You don’t have to thank me whenever we have sex, Galo.”

“I know! But it was fun. I feel like I should thank you for making it so good for me.”

Lio reaches up to take Galo’s hand and pull his arm tighter against his chest. “Yeah, it was fun. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

Galo nuzzles into Lio’s hair. “If it’s with you, I’ll probably always enjoy it.”

Lio isn’t sure what to say to that. Instead, he settles for pressing a kiss to the back of Galo’s hand and hopes that it conveys the affection that he feels. Lio drifts off in the warmth and safety of Galo’s embrace.

* * *

Lio is being buried alive. He’s hot and sweaty, and no matter how hard he tries, he can’t seem to move. His limbs aren’t working, and he can’t escape the sensation of something pressing on his chest. It’s dark, and everything seems to be piling in on him.

He gasps, and then suddenly he’s awake. He's still being crushed, and he panics until he realises what the weight is.

Galo has gone from spooning him to lying directly on top of him.

“Galo!” Lio hisses. “Galo, I can’t breathe.”

“Mmm, good morning,” Galo mumbles, pressing a kiss to Lio’s cheek. 

“Galo, I need you to move.”

“Five more minutes.”

“Galo!” Lio groans, but he can't help laughing, too. Galo, at times, truly is an overgrown child. Lio squirms underneath Galo’s weight, trying to carefully push him off. 

Galo makes a displeased noise and rolls off to the side of Lio.

“I can breathe!” Lio gasps. “Sweet, sweet oxygen! Never again will I take you for granted!”

Galo snorts. “Drama queen.”

“I was literally being squashed to death by your massive body. I think I can afford to be a little bit dramatic, thank you very much.”

Galo hums and shuffles in closer again. Lio reaches up to stroke a hand through Galo's hair. It’s just as unruly as usual.

“How are you feeling?” Lio asks. 

Galo smiles. “Good, really good. I could do with a shower, though. I’m feeling a bit crusty.”

“Want me to come with you?” Lio offers.

Galo is up and out of bed in an instant. He's out the door before Lio can tell him to at least put some pants on. Lio desperately hopes that no one catches him naked in the corridor.

* * *

They shower relatively quickly, all things considered. Their hands wander, but Lio refuses to let things go too far. He isn’t particularly thrilled by the possibility that they might be walked in on at any moment. He’s close with Gueira and Meis, but not _that_ close. 

By the time they’re dressed and back in the kitchen, Meis and Gueira are awake too. Meis is standing by the oven, and Gueira is chatting to him from the dining table.

“Welcome to the land of the living, lovebirds,” Gueira smirks at Lio and Galo as they take a seat. “We’re making pancakes, do you guys want some?”

Meis scoffs. “He means _I’m_ making pancakes.”

“Hey, I stirred the batter!”

Lio can practically hear Meis’s eyes rolling from where he's sitting. “Yes, darling, and you did such a good job.”

Gueira beams, obviously not hearing the sarcasm. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever had pancakes,” Galo admits.

Gueira practically leaps out of his seat. “Today, my friend, you are losing your pancake virginity! You aren’t going to regret it, trust me.”

“That’s two virginities in one day!” Galo announces proudly. 

Lio is seriously contemplating slamming his head into the table as Meis and Gueira roar with laughter.

* * *

Galo devours his pancakes with terrifying gusto. For a few minutes, Meis and Lio just sit back and watch as Galo and Gueira messily demolish their breakfasts. It’s slightly alarming, and there are a couple of times where Lio thinks Galo might be in serious risk of choking, but everyone makes it out unharmed. 

Once the mountain of dishes is cleaned up, Lio drags Galo back with him to his bedroom. They flop onto the bed and soak up the sunshine streaming in from the window.

“I should probably get back soon. Freshwater is good, but I’m starting to crave salt.” Galo says. “I wish I didn’t have to go. I like spending time with you. And Gueira and Meis, too. Even if my ears are still ringing from the screaming.”

“Well, I’m still going to keep going to the beach. And you can come back here with me whenever you want. Plus, I'm sure Gueira will scream for you again if you ask nicely.”

“Really?” Galo sits up quickly.

"Gueira is a disruptive little shit, of course—"

"That's not what I'm asking about, and you know it!" 

Lio laughs. “I know, I know. And yeah, I like working at the beach, and I like spending time with you. Who knows, I might even let you teach me to swim.”

Galo gasps. “That would be amazing! Then I could bring you to see all the cool stuff along the coast!”

Lio smiles up at him. “I’d like that.”

* * *

And Lio does keep going to the beach. Of course, now he doesn’t have to pretend that he’s only going there to work, so he can tell Meis and Gueira about his sunny afternoons spent with Galo. It’s nice, not having to worry about accidentally revealing his secret to them. Lio doesn’t like keeping things from Meis and Gueira. They’re his best friends, and he’s never been very good at lying to them, anyway. In a way, Lio is glad that Gueira discovered Galo when he did. Life's much easier without all the secrecy. 

Lio lives for the time he sends with Galo. He knows that he’s in love with Galo, but for the moment, he’s quite happy keeping this fact to himself. Lio’s not sure whether Galo would appreciate knowing the depth of Lio’s feelings for him, or if it would just overwhelm him with too much, too soon. Lio doesn’t want to risk ruining what they have, and he doesn’t mind waiting for the right moment to tell Galo.

Lio spends time nearly every day at the beach. Sometimes Galo doesn’t show up for hours, so Lio will spend the time writing and daydreaming. When he is there, they do lots of different things together. Sometimes they just lie on the sand and soak up the sunshine (Lio always brings a spare change of clothes for Galo in case he wants to shift to his human form). Sometimes Lio will read to him, or they’ll talk about what Lio is writing. Sometimes they’ll go swimming, and Galo starts teaching Lio to be more confident in the water. Sometimes Galo shifts into his human form so he can show Lio exactly what he should be doing with his body.

Of course, Galo likes to be naked when he swims, and there’s always a fair amount of groping that occurs as a result. They never take things far while they’re at the beach. Even though they always swim in deserted areas, Lio still doesn’t want to take the chance of someone seeing them. They save that for when they go back to Lio’s apartment. They've still been walked in on a couple of times, but at least Gueira and Meis won't call the police on them for being naked in a public space. 

Galo doesn’t ever stay for more than a night at a time. Their bathtub is enough to keep him hydrated, but it’s not quite the same as being in saltwater. And since there is only one bathroom in their apartment, and no one really wants to pee while Galo is in the bath, it limits the amount of time he can spend there. 

Galo gets along with Meis and Gueira like they’ve been friends for years, a fact for which Lio is very glad. Gueira and Meis are Lio's oldest friends, and Galo is very quickly becoming one of the most important people in his life. Lio would have had a serious problem if they’d hated each other. Instead, Galo is almost as happy to see Lio’s friends as he is to see Lio himself whenever he comes to stay. 

“Hey, we’re going to the beach for a swim soon, do you guys want to come with us?” Galo asks.

Gueira jumps at the opportunity. “Hell yeah, beach day with Lio’s fishy boyfriend! Let’s fucking go!”

Meis rolls his eyes at Gueira’s enthusiasm but agrees to come along anyway. 

Meis and Gueira encourage each other’s idiocy, but Galo and Gueira together are truly another level of chaos. It’s equal parts amusing and terrifying to watch the situations they get themselves into when left together. Their greatest hits include the famous three-hour handstand challenge (which only ended because Gueira eventually passed out), the time they ate so much pizza that they were both violently sick and wouldn't eat pizza for a week, and the time they got banned from every IKEA in the state. Lio and Meis are just waiting for the day that someone ends up in the hospital. 

The two couples walk out to the beach together and Galo wades into the water before starting to strip off. He sinks beneath the waves and then resurfaces with a bundle of clothing in hand. He tosses them to Lio, who hangs them out over the rocks before taking off his own shirt. Galo normally has no worries stripping off in front of Lio, so he appreciates the fact that Galo takes the time not to get naked in front of his friends. Galo is definitely the more possessive one in the relationship, but that doesn't mean Lio is eager to share, either. 

“You know, I hadn’t considered the fact that Galo is technically naked all of the time,” Gueira says.

“Why do you think I had to go out and buy all of that extra clothing?” Lio snorts. 

Meis hums. “I did wonder why you suddenly decided to start buying clothes three times bigger than what you usually wear.”

“Come on you guys, the water’s fine!” Galo calls.

Lio makes sure that his belongings won’t be in the way if the tide comes in any further, then dives in after Galo. They meet underwater, and Galo twirls Lio around playfully. Lio loves swimming with Galo. It feels like they’re flying, and he never has to worry when he’s in the safety of Galo’s arms. He lets Galo guide them back up to the surface. 

“What are you guys waiting for?” Lio calls. 

“We’re getting there! Not all of us have spent our entire lives in the water!” Gueira protests, and then he’s diving in too. Lio watches as Meis finishes tying his hair up, and then he follows suit.

Gueira and Meis are more confident in the water than Lio was when he first met Galo, so they don’t need any guidance. They swim over to where they’re waiting with ease. Galo takes Lio’s hand as he wraps his tail loosely around Lio’s middle. Galo had explained that it was a sign of affection, and it warms Lio’s heart whenever he does it. 

“Ugh, now I understand why you always complain about PDA,” Gueira says.

Lio smirks and leans up to press a kiss to Galo’s cheek. “Maybe now you guys will tone it down a little bit while other people are around.”

“Yeah, that’s likely,” Meis smirks.

Lio sighs. “I guess that really is too much to ask.”

Galo’s tail unwinds from around Lio, and he splashes excitedly. “Come on guys, let’s swim! Unless you two think you’ll be too slow to keep up with us.”

Gueira laughs. “If you ditch the tail, I’ll race you.”

“Let me grab some pants!” Galo says, and then he dives beneath the water with a huge splash. Lio knows for a fact that Galo is a graceful swimmer and doesn’t splash around by accident. It’s just an excuse to get everyone else wet. Or, wetter than they already are, anyway. 

When Galo has shifted back and is no longer completely naked, he swims back to the group.

“First one past those rocks over there is the winner!” Gueira declares, and then he’s off.

“Hey! No fair, you got a head start!” Galo shouts, tearing after him in a flurry of limbs. 

Meis and Lio treat water, laughing at their antics.

“I like him,” Meis says, once it's just the two of them.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. He’s kind of weird, and he’s a bit of an idiot, and he’s not even human, but you’ve been happier since you met. You’ve been writing more, too. He’s good for you.”

Lio smiles. “Yeah. He makes me really happy.”

They’re interrupted by a shout in the distance. “I won! Take that, Gueira!”

“You must have cheated! I want a rematch!”

“Race you to those rocks over there?”

“You’re on!”

And with that, they’re off again.

“They’re both idiots,” Meis laughs.

“Yeah, they really are.”

Lio watches fondly as Gueira and Galo squabble and splash each other. At one point, Galo looks over and notices Lio watching him. He gives him a smile and a wave, and as he’s distracted, Gueira takes the opportunity to splash him right in the face. Galo splutters and splashes him right back.

Galo might be an idiot, but he’s Lio’s idiot. And Lio wouldn't have him any other way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lio is always ready to fight the government in any universe at any time. I don't make the rules.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the very start of this chapter, Galo shows Lio that thing where he can breathe for him underwater. He doesn't explain this to Lio super well, and for a little bit, Lio is getting worried about Galo not letting him go up to the surface to breathe. But then Galo kisses him and gives him oxygen, so it's all fine.
> 
> And also, this is chapter 4, so we've got some freaky fishy sex! Again, Galo has both sets of junk, and I use some AFAB language just because I can. There is also a brief discussion of Galo possibly getting pregnant, but then Lio uses a condom, so it's all good.

“I have something to show you,” Galo says. “Come for a swim with me?”

Lio strips off and follows Galo into the water without hesitation. Galo takes his hands and pulls him out further, until the ocean floor drops too low for Lio to reach. Lio still isn’t the most confident swimmer, but with Galo, he’s completely at ease.

“What are we going to see?”

“Actually, there's something I want to try. There’s something I’ve heard of, and I want to see if it's true. Do you trust me?”

“Of course,” Lio says without a second thought. He doesn’t even have to think about what he’s going to say in response to that question.

“Take a breath,” Galo instructs. “We’re going under.”

Lio takes a deep breath and lets Galo pull him under the water. They float for a moment, and Lio opens his eyes. It has taken him ages to get used it, and he can’t keep his eyes open under the water for long. But for short bursts, it’s great for watching the way that Galo’s hair curls and waves around him in the water. Galo is a very attractive person, generally. But in his element like this, he’s breathtaking.

Galo grins at him, showing off those pointy fangs that Lio secretly loves. Then, he’s cupping Lio’s face and pulling him in for a kiss. He breathes out into Lio’s mouth just as Lio realises that he’s going to need to go up for air soon. He goes to swim upwards, but Galo holds him firmly in place. Lio can’t help the fear that moves through him as he gasps for breath instinctively. But, to his surprise, rather than getting a mouthful of water, Lio finds himself inhaling air. Lio breathes it in gratefully and leans back to look at Galo in confusion. Galo exhales, pushing a mouthful of bubbles out, and then Lio understands. Somehow, Galo can breathe for him. 

Lio chuckles, releasing bubbles of laughter, before leaning forward to take another deep breath. They separate again and smile at each other for a moment before Galo guides them back to the surface.

“Oh my god!" Lio gasps. "Galo, that’s amazing!”

“Right? I wasn’t even sure it was real. I’ve never had anyone to try it with before.” Galo looks just as excited as Lio feels. 

“Does this mean we can go exploring underwater together? I want to see where you live.” Lio says.

Galo gasps and his tail splashes excitedly behind them. “I can show you everything now! Oh my god, can we go right now?”

Lio grabs Galo’s wrist before he can vanish beneath the surface again. “Hang on! I’ll need to get something to help me see, first. The salt in the water irritates my eyes. I don’t have an extra eyelid like you do.” Lio points out.

“Okay, another day, then. I’m just so excited, I think I’m going to explode.” Galo groans, flopping back into the water. He does a quick loop around Lio and then resurfaces.

“Do you want to come back to mine tonight? We can go and buy some goggles in the morning and then come back here to go exploring.”

Galo beams. “Yeah! That sounds awesome!”

* * *

One of the most entertaining things about having meals with Galo, Meis and Gueira is watching Galo and Gueira eat. It’s a little bit terrifying, and Lio often worries that if he were to get too close, he might just lose a finger. But there’s just something about it that Lio can’t tear his eyes away from.

“They’re disgusting,” Meis says flatly.

“At least we know they like your cooking,” Lio says.

Meis gives him an unimpressed look. To be fair, Galo and Gueira are messy eaters no matter what they're eating. They eat everything like they haven’t seen food for days. Watching them eat spaghetti is a new kind of disgusting.

“You know you guys don’t have to turn everything into a race, right?” Lio says.

Galo swallows another enormous bite. “It’s just a little friendly competition, Lio. We need to know who can eat the most pasta the fastest.”

“It’s important stuff, Lio!” Gueira agrees.

Without even saying a word to each other, Galo and Gueira raise a hand and high-five in perfect synchronisation, before immediately digging back into their pasta. 

"We really know how to pick them," Meis snorts. 

* * *

After dinner, they end up lounging on Lio’s bed watching the stars together. Galo is lying on his back, and Lio is lying on top of him, chin resting against Galo’s chest. Lio has long since abandoned watching the stars in favour of watching Galo. The stars are pretty, but they'll never really be able to compete with Galo. 

“Hey, Galo?”

“Hmmm?”

“How does sex work when you’re in your other form?” Lio asks. 

Galo chuckles and tears his gaze away from the sky. “It’s pretty much the same. We don’t have any, you know, constantly external stuff, so you have to kind of encourage it all to come out.”

Lio blushes. “Would that be something you’d want to try, someday?”

“You’d really want to do that with me?” Galo asks.

Lio reaches up with one hand to stroke through Galo’s hair and down his cheek. “Of course I would. I don’t know if you’ve noticed Galo, but I really like having sex with you.”

Galo looks apprehensive for a second, but then he laughs. “Of course you do! Sex with me is amazing! I might not be a human, but I know how to party.”

Lio resists the urge to roll his eyes. “I don’t like you _despite_ the fact that you’re not human, Galo. I don’t even like you _because_ you’re not human. I like you because you’re _you_. I like the naked idiot that I found on the beach, the one that I couldn’t get out of my head. I like the guy that gets sand in my bed, no matter how hard he tries to wash it off beforehand. I like the guy that is single-handedly funding all the local pizza places. I like the guy that holds my hand when we swim together, so I don't get nervous.” 

Galo raises his head slightly, and Lio recognises the invitation and leans up to kiss him.

“Do Meis and Gueira know that you’re such a secret romantic?” Galo teases.

“Shut up!” Lio flicks Galo’s nose.

Galo wraps his arms tightly around Lio and then before Lio can even try to escape, Galo is flipping them over and pinning Lio under his weight. He’s straddling Lio’s waist, looking down at him. Lio’s arms are pinned to his sides, and he’s completely at Galo’s mercy.

“I like this view.”

“Hey!” Lio tries to sound firm, but he can’t stop himself from laughing.

“You’d really want to have sex with me in my other form?” Galo asks, suddenly serious.

“Of course.”

“Okay. Uh, I should probably warn you, my junk doesn’t look anything like it does when I’m in my human form.”

“How so?” Lio asks, curious.

“Uh. Okay, well, all merpeople can get other people pregnant and be pregnant themselves. So that means I’ve got both sets of... uh... equipment.”

“Oh,” Lio breathes. “Okay. Right. Is there anywhere that you don’t want me to touch?”

Galo shrugs. “Nah, I don’t really mind. I just didn’t want to make you uncomfortable if there was anything you didn’t want to deal with.”

“You’re far smarter than you give yourself credit for, you know,” Lio says. “But don’t worry, I am on board for anything you want to do.”

“Can we start by getting you naked?” Galo asks, already sliding his hands up and under Lio’s shirt.

“If you let go of my arms, you’ll be able to get me out of my shirt,” Lio points out.

“Right, my bad!”

Galo shuffles his hips down Lio’s body and loosens his grip with his legs. Lio works his arms free and then sits up slightly so Galo can pull his shirt off. He lies back down, and Galo spends a moment stroking over the bare skin of Lio’s chest. Lio shudders and gasps when Galo skims over a nipple.

“You like that?” Galo asks.

Lio nods mutely. Galo does it again, and again, and then the same to the other side, and Lio can barely hide his whines and gasps.

“Do you think we should tell Meis and Gueira that we want to use the bathroom?” Galo asks. "You know, for not normal bathroom stuff." 

Lio’s brain is practically foggy with arousal at this point, and it’s hard switching back to casual conversation. It’s especially difficult when Galo keeps running his hands along Lio’s chest and stomach as he tries to talk. “I don’t know. We should be fine.”

“Shall we go, then?”

“As soon as you let me up.”

Galo snorts and then clambers off Lio. He holds a hand to help Lio up and off the bed. Lio plasters himself to Galo’s back as they make their way down the corridor and into the bathroom. Galo flicks the light on and starts filling the bathtub. As he’s bent over the tub, Lio leans over him to kiss his neck and thrust a hand down the front of Galo’s pants. Galo jumps slightly, and then lets out a breathless moan when Lio strokes over the base of his cock.

“Lio, you gotta hold off, or this is going to be over before it even begins,” Galo warns.

Lio reluctantly stands up. “Ugh, fine. I’ll keep my hands to myself.”

“Don’t keep them to yourself forever; I like your hands,” Galo protests. He stares at Lio for a moment, taking in the bare skin of Lio’s chest and stomach. “You’re so pretty.”

“You say that all the time,” Lio grumbles. 

“That doesn’t mean it stops being true.”

Galo steps forward to slide his hands down Lio’s side and pull him in for a kiss. He brings his hands up and over Lio’s back, before coming to rest over his ass. Galo gives it a playful squeeze and smiles against Lio’s lips.

“Are you going to get naked, now?” Lio asks.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m getting there,” Galo says. “I’m just having so much fun kissing you right now.”

Lio grins at that. He slides his hands around Galo’s waist and over his stomach, pushing his shirt up and out of the way as he moves up to Galo’s chest. Galo lifts his arms and Lio reaches up to pull his shirt off.

“Galo, you need to do it,” Lio says.

“But I wanted you to undress me, Lio,” Galo pouts.

Lio glares at him and is rewarded with a shit-eating grin. “You know as well as I do that I can’t reach that far. You're freakishly tall.”

Quick as a flash, Galo presses another kiss to Lio’s lips before he can protest. He pulls his shirt up and off the rest of the way. Lio takes a moment to run his hands down Galo’s muscled arms. The scarring on his left arm still makes Lio’s heart ache.

“You still haven’t told me how you got this,” Lio says softly, distracted from the arousal running through him.

“It’s... it’s a sad story. Can I tell you later?” Galo asks.

“Of course. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”

Galo shakes his head. “It’s fine, it was a long time ago. For now, I just want to focus on making you feel good.”

He fiddles with the button on Lio’s pants and opens them up for him. Lio drags them off and dumps them in the corner. Galo makes a slight choking sound.

“You’re not wearing any underwear.”

“Good observation skills, Galo. I just thought they’d get in the way.”

Galo nods dumbly. “Yeah. Okay. I guess I’ll just...”

Galo turns around quickly to check the progress of the bath and then steps out of his own pants. He climbs into the tub and lies down.

“You don’t have to shift if you don’t want to,” Lio assures him. “I’m totally happy with whatever you want to do.”

“No, no, I really want to do this. I promise.” Galo says, as earnest as ever. He frowns for a second, and then his skin darkens to a bold blue, and his legs vanish beneath a glimmering tail.

He’s much longer in his merperson form, and his tail drapes over the end of the bath. It would be comical if Lio wasn’t so turned on by the sight of him.

“Come on in, the water’s fine!” Galo says, making grabby hands for Lio.

Lio climbs into the bathtub and straddles where he imagines Galo’s hips would be. “Well, this is cosy.”

“Do you want me to add more water? It’s a bit less than I usually like, but I don’t want to add too much just in case we move around too much and get water everywhere.”

Lio nods. “That’s a good idea. Meis and Gueira will kill us if we flood the bathroom.”

Galo rubs his hands up and down Lio’s thighs. “Are you going to be too cold? Maybe you should put a shirt on, or something.”

Lio shakes his head. “The steam from the water is nice and warm. But if I do get cold, I’ll let you know.”

Galo smiles. “Okay, good.”

Lio trails a hand along the area where blue scales fade into pale skin. “So... what do I do from here?”

“Okay, there’s a little seam just along here,” Galo takes and guides his hand down until Lio feels a slight dip in his scales. “You just kind of have to massage that a little bit.”

Lio hums and starts sliding his fingers up and down the slit. It’s slightly damp from the water, and steadily keeps getting slicker the more Lio plays with it. Galo shifts and gasps as it opens up.

“Does that feel good?” Lio asks.

Galo nods. “Shit, yeah. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

Lio strokes gently up and down the slit, dipping his finger inside as soon as it opens up enough. Inside, it’s hot and wet, and each gentle thrust of his finger inside makes Galo groan. Lio looks up to watch Galo’s face as he plays with him. With each push of Lio's fingers inside, Galo’s face scrunches up, and he whines pathetically. A steady red flush is spreading over his face and down his chest. It’s adorable, and Lio loves knowing that he's the cause of such a reaction. 

Lio gasps as he touches something solid inside of Galo. “What is that?”

“That’s my dick, keep doing,” Galo says, panting heavily now. 

Lio strokes over the slick length, coaxing it out of Galo’s body. Soon, the red length is lengthening and sliding out of Galo’s slit. He’s right; it definitely looks nothing like his human cock. To put it crudely, it’s shaped a bit like a small tentacle. There aren’t any suckers, thank fuck, but it’s thickest at the base and narrows at the tip. It’s a deep red colour, and slick all over. It curls gently around Lio’s hand but allows him to uncurl it as he strokes along it. Lio pumps a fist up and down slowly, enjoying how slick and malleable it is in his grip. Galo gasps and thrusts into Lio’s hand.

“Yes, fuck, please!” Galo moans. 

“What do you want me to do, Galo? Do you want to jerk off together? Or do you want something different?”

Galo is silent for a moment before he responds. “I... I want you to fuck me.”

“Here?” Lio asks, dipping a finger back into Galo’s slit.

“Yes, please!”

“Is there enough room for me?” Lio asks. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“It’s fine. You might just need to stretch me out a bit with your fingers, first.”

“Okay,” Lio breathes, sliding a finger back into Galo’s wet heat. He’s almost reluctant to call it a cunt, but that’s basically what it is. It lies right Galo’s balls would be, had they been doing this while Galo was in his human form. 

As a cis gay man who has only ever had sex with other cis gay men, Lio doesn’t exactly have much first-hand experience in this area. Galo doesn’t appear to have a clit, so he probably gets most of his pleasure from his cock. As Lio slides a finger back into Galo’s entrance, he keeps a hand on Galo's cock. He fucks into him with his finger in time with strokes along Galo's cock. 

Judging by the hitching gasps and low groans coming from Galo, Lio can’t be doing too badly. Lio pulls his finger out and then slides back in with two. Galo gasps and his hips twitch.

“Okay?” Lio asks.

Galo just nods vigorously.

Lio continues exploring Galo's hot, wet entrance with his fingers. It's rough and textured, and Lio is very excited to see what this feels like on his cock. Lio is also very glad that they decided not to fill the bath completely. Even the weight of Lio’s body can’t stop Galo’s powerful jerking and writhing. Lio is sure they’re bound to get some water on the floor, but he hopes it’s there isn't too much to clean up. Anyway, he’s a little bit too preoccupied with the pleasure of this beautiful creature before him to be _that_ worried about anything else.

Once Lio feels like Galo is taking two fingers with ease, he slides a third one in. Each gentle slide of Lio’s fingers into Galo’s cunt pushes a delicious noise out of Galo. He’s wet enough now that his cunt is making filthy wet noises with every movement of Lio’s fingers, and Lio wishes he had a way to record these sounds and play them back later. The combination of breathy moans and wet squelching is the hottest, filthiest thing Lio has ever had the pleasure to listen to, and he never wants it to end. 

But then, it’s not like this is the only time they’ll get to do this. When Lio wants to hear the beautiful symphony that is Galo’s arousal, they can just do this again. And again. And _again_. The thought makes Lio shiver. 

By now, three fingers are sliding in and out of Galo easily. “Galo? Are you ready for me now?” Lio asks.

“Oh my god, I have been ready for so goddamn long,” Galo groans. "Fuck me!" 

Lio takes his fingers, wet with Galo’s slick, and slides them over his own cock. There is more than enough moisture to cover him, and that makes his cock throb. He takes himself in hand and slides his dick along Galo's slit. Galo quivers beneath him, and Lio feels his cock blurt out a little pre-cum at the feel of the hot flesh beneath him. Lio is sliding along Galo's entrance, soaking up the sound of Galo's whines when something occurs to Lio, and he stops. 

“Uh, Galo, should I be wearing a condom? Could you get pregnant from this?”

Galo frowns. “Huh. That’s a very good question.”

“You wouldn’t happen to have an answer to it, would you?”

“Well, I didn’t exactly have health classes to teach me about this sort of stuff!” Galo protests. “We’d probably be fine, right? We’re not the same species.”

“But how did merpeople happen in the first place? It certainly _looks_ like someone was fucking around and got someone of a different species pregnant.”

Galo groans. “Ugh, you’re probably right.”

Lio climbs out of the bath on shaky legs. “We should have some condoms in here somewhere.”

As Lio rummages around in the cabinet, Galo takes the opportunity to mess with him.

“Oh please, Lio, hurry back. I’m so wet for you. I need you back inside me. No one will be able to sate the burning desire inside me like you do.”

Lio knows that Galo is just winding him up, but his words send a flash of arousal through Lio’s body. It’s very distracting. 

Luck, it seems, is on their side tonight. After just a few more seconds, Lio unearths a box of condoms that are still within their expiry date. Lio pulls one out and rolls it onto himself before climbing back into the bathtub.

“Sorry for the delay folks, we’re about to get right back on track,” Lio announces.

“Stop teasing me!”

Lio teases a finger back inside Galo’s cunt. “Is this where you want me?”

“Lio, please!” Galo whines pitifully.

Lio chuckles and then shuffles forward. He guides himself into Galo’s slit, relishing in the way that the blue folds part and reveal a hot, red entrance. Galo gasps and brings his hands up to grip Lio’s waist. Lio can feel the prick of Galo's claws, and he shudders. He shuffles forward, slowly pressing himself deeper into the scorching heat of Galo’s body. The texture is fucking _incredible_. There are little bumps and grooves that stimulate him in the best way possible, and Lio can't hold in the groans that are spilling out of him. 

Galo is gasping and moaning with each movement of Lio’s cock further inside him. Lio keeps one hand on his own cock and brings the other back up to Galo’s to resume stroking steadily. Galo moans and thrusts his hips up, forcing Lio’s cock suddenly deeper into that enticing heat. 

They both moan as Lio is pushed deep inside. Lio pushes forward again and shifts his legs so that he’s leaning into Galo’s body, rather than sitting on top of it. He has to let go of Galo’s cock so that he can keep his balance. His hips are flush against Galo’s now, and he moans as they press tightly together. Galo’s hands slide up to rest on his lower back, gently teasing at the top of his ass, holding him in place. 

“Oh my god, Galo, you feel amazing," Lio gasps. 

Galo laughs breathlessly. He tightens his grip on Lio, as though trying to urge him deeper. 

“You can move now, if you want to,” Galo says.

Lio keeps his eyes locked with Galo’s as he shifts his hips back. Galo lets go of Lio's waist, and brings his arms up to brace himself on the edges of the bath. As Lio thrusts back into him, Galo raises his hips to meet him. 

“Oh my god,” Lio gasps. “Oh my god!”

“My thoughts — ah — exactly,” Galo whines.

They keep to a steady rhythm. Lio thrusts in and out, and Galo moves to meet him. The water is slopping messily around them, and they are definitely going to have to mop the floor after this. But with the way that Galo’s cunt feels around Lio, and the way that Galo is looking at him as Lio fucks deeply into him, Lio can’t bring himself to care.

Galo drops an arm down to take his own cock in hand, and he moans louder now. If there was any doubt before as to what they were doing in here, there is absolutely no question now. Maybe Meis and Gueira will finally understand how uncomfortable it is to be forced to listen as your friends fuck in the next room.

“You gonna come for me?” Lio asks.

Galo squeezes his eyes shut and nods jerkily.

“Do you want me to come inside you?”

Galo nods again, perhaps even more eagerly this time.

Lio thrusts harder into Galo now. He can feel the building heat in his stomach that indicates that he’s close. And if the steady whines and moans from Galo are any indication, then he is too. Lio can't help feeling slightly disappointed that this first time like this isn't going to last long. But when it feels this good, he's not really surprised. 

“I want you to come first, sweetheart,” Lio says. “I want to watch you come.”

“Okay, okay,” Galo gasps. “I’m real close.”

Lio nods and keeps up his steady pace. Galo’s breath hitches and then, barely a minute late, he lets out a high-pitched whine. His cock jerks, and then he’s covering his stomach with his pearlescent cum. It jets out of him in thick arcs, spurting in time with Lio’s thrusts. Galo stops jerking himself off, now just holding himself tightly at the base of his cock. His cock gives one last blurt, and then Galo slumps back against the end of the bath, panting heavily. 

Lio can feel the way that Galo’s cunt tightens up with each pump of cum onto his stomach, and before he can warn Galo, his orgasm crashes over him, too. Lio moans loudly, pressing his hips tightly against Galo. He can feel himself pumping into the tight heat of Galo’s cunt, and for a split second, he wishes the condom wasn’t in the way. He imagines pulling back and watching his cum drip out of Galo’s beautiful cunt, imagines pushing it back inside with his fingers, swirling it around on Galo's skin. 

He grinds slowly against Galo, riding out the waves of pleasure coursing through his body. After another few seconds, Lio slides himself out of Galo’s heat and slumps heavily against him. Galo wraps his arms around Lio with a happy sigh.

“Holy shit,” Galo says quietly.

“Holy shit,” Lio agrees.

Then, the door bursts open.

“Holy shit!” Gueira shrieks. “Stop desecrating the fucking bathtub!”

“Get the fuck out, you idiot!” Lio twists himself over to yell. “When will you fucking learn to knock?”

“I’m going, I’m going! The image of your ass is going to be burned into my brain for the rest of time!” Gueira complains, and then he’s slamming the door shut behind him.

Lio slumps back onto Galo’s chest.

“Oh my god, I hate my friends,” Lio groans.

Galo snorts. “Maybe that’ll teach him.”

Lio laughs despite himself. “If Gueira didn’t learn to knock after the first time he found you in here, I don’t think my bare ass is going to do it. I can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve walked in on those two going at it. They’re shameless.”

Galo laughs and presses a kiss to the top of Lio’s head. “Maybe you guys should just install a new lock on the door yourselves.”

“Huh. You know, I don’t think I’d ever even thought of that.”

“And you call me an idiot!”

“It must be rubbing off on me,” Lio says.

“It’s not the only thing rubbing off on you,” Galo teases.

Lio groans. “You’re terrible.”

“That’s not what you said when you fucked me.”

Lio smacks Galo’s chest lightly. “My friends are a terrible influence on you, and I should never have introduced you.”

“I’m glad I met you, Lio. My life is so much better with you in it.”

At Galo’s sudden change of tone, Lio looks up at him. He’s smiling down at Lio, and Lio is overcome with love for him. Galo is unlike anyone else in the world. He’s beautiful, and unique, and sweet, and Lio is desperately in love with him. Lio feels like his heart might explode from the depth of emotions that he feels for Galo. He can’t keep it inside any longer. 

“I love you,” Lio breathes.

Galo stares at him for a second before a huge smile steals over his face. “I love you, too.”

Lio smiles stupidly and presses his face into Galo’s chest, for lack of a better response. Galo’s arms tighten around him, and for a moment, it’s quiet. Their breathing slowly returns to normal, and Lio listens to the steady beating of Galo’s heart.

Then, there’s a knock at the door.

“Hey, guys, I really need to pee. Are you getting out soon? Or should I just go pee in the kitchen sink?” Gueira calls through the door.

Lio is up and dragging himself off Galo in an instant. “Gueira, if you piss in the kitchen sink, I am going to murder you and make sure no one ever finds your body.”

* * *

Lio disposes of the condo, Galo shifts back, and they do a very quick mop of the floor. Then, they wrap themselves in towels and retreat to Lio’s bedroom. Gueira gives them a low whistle as they walk past, and Lio barely manages to resist the urge to stick a foot out and trip him. 

Lio shuts his bedroom door behind them, and they drop their towels onto the floor before sliding into bed together. They lie facing each other, an arm swung over each other’s waists. For a moment, it’s silent. Lio listens to Galo’s breathing and relaxes into his embrace.

“Hey, Lio?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you. And you love me!”

Lio chuckles. “Yeah, I do.”

Galo hums. When he speaks again, his voice is low, quiet. “I got the scars on my arm when I lost my parents.”

Lio strokes a hand up and down Galo’s back. “We don’t have to talk about it right now if it makes you upset.”

“No, I want to tell you. Is that okay?”

“Of course.”

“Okay. Well, I don’t really remember much of it. But we were out hunting together, and I got caught in a fishing net. I panicked, and my arm got all torn up when I tried to pull myself out. When they came to help me, they got caught too. I got out of a hole in the net, but I was really young, and I was really small. They didn’t have time to make a tear big enough for them to escape. They were there one moment, and then they were just... gone.

“When I went to get help, I got cast out. Everyone said that my parents would have been taken by humans already, and that I’d betrayed our secret. It was my fault that humans knew where we were, and it wouldn’t be safe for anyone there anymore. We all had to leave, but I was forced to go off on my own. I just floated around for a while until I found this stretch of coast, and I’ve been here ever since."

“Oh, Galo,” Lio breathes. He strokes his hand along Galo’s cheek, wiping away the tear that is steadily making its way down Galo’s face. “I’m so sorry.”

Galo sighs shakily. “It was a long time ago. I don’t know why I’m still so sad about it.”

“They were your family, of course you’re still going to be sad about it. I don’t even particularly like my parents, and sometimes I still miss them. It’s okay to be sad. No one is going to think any less of you.”

Galo’s arm around him tightens. “Thank you.”

Lio leans forward to give Galo a quick kiss. “You’re not alone anymore, Galo. You’ve got me.”

Galo’s signature smile returns. “Yeah, I do. And you’ve got me, too!”

“Yeah, I do.”

"Hey, Lio?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you." 

Lio smiles. "I love you too, Galo." 

* * *

Unsurprisingly, Lio is treated to a lecture the next morning at breakfast. Or, at least, Meis tries his best to give Lio a lecture. Gueira is not particularly helpful. 

“We need to talk about our rules around the appropriate use of common areas,” Meis says.

“Like you guys haven’t fucked on every surface of this apartment,” Lio retorts.

Gueira whistles. “He’s got you there!”

Meis glares at Gueira. “Don’t encourage him! Or admit to that!”

“Well, you guys aren’t exactly subtle,” Galo interjects. “Or quiet.”

Lio almost spits out his mouthful of juice as he struggles not to laugh.

“Anyway! That’s not the point! What I’m trying to get at is that we need to remember that our bathroom door doesn’t have a lock. And we can't keep traumatising the only person who still hasn't learnt how to knock.” Meis tries again. 

“Why don’t you guys just install a lock yourselves?” Galo asks.

Meis and Gueira stare at Galo for a second, gobsmacked.

“Yeah, guys, why didn’t you think of that?” Lio teases. He gives Galo a quick wink.

“Oh my god. Galo, you’re a genius.” Gueira says. "How did we never think of that?" 

Gueira and Meis both manage to miss Galo reaching his hand out toward Lio for a quick fist bump. The lecture is forgotten, and Meis and Gueira start discussing when they can go and visit the local hardware store. 

* * *

Lio ends up buying a cheap snorkelling mask, not bothering with any of the fancy breathing equipment. It’s not like he needs it when his boyfriend is a portable air tank. Galo is fascinated by the vast range of stuff in the diving store, and Lio has to practically drag him back outside. They make their way back to the beach and leave their clothing on the rocks as usual. Lio puts the mask on and follows Galo into the ocean.

“You ready to go exploring?” Galo asks. "We won't be going far today, I just want you to get a feel for things, first." 

“Just don’t let go of me,” Lio says quickly. “Or go too deep.”

“I won’t. I’ll be right there with you the whole time. If you want to go back up to the surface, just give me a good pinch and we can come right back up.”

“Okay. I’m ready.” Lio nods. He takes a deep breath, and then they’re diving below the surface.

Galo quickly realises the easiest way to pull Lio along with him is to hold him against his front and wrap his arms around his chest, under his armpits. Lio can hold onto Galo’s arms, and twist around easily for another kiss of air. He feels a bit like a troublesome child at first, being pulled around like this, but then he’s quickly distracted by the sights of the underwater world around them.

They stay somewhat close to the surface. Lio needs the sunlight to see, and going deep enough for it to be completely dark terrifies him. There’s still plenty to see in the shallows as Galo ducks in and out of caves, around wrecks, and through clumps of seaweed that tickle Lio’s bare chest.

Occasionally, Galo will let go of Lio so he can explore on his own. Lio never goes far and makes sure that he can always see Galo out of the corner of his eye. Mostly, he just stops to look at shells and shiny objects on the ocean floor. They’re nothing like what washes up on the beach. They’re pristine and unbroken, and Lio wishes he’d brought something with him to carry some back with him.

Galo watches Lio look through the shells, attentively waiting for a sign that Lio needs some more air.

After what feels like hours, Lio taps Galo on the shoulder and gestures back to where he thinks the shore lies. Galo nods and gently scoops Lio back up into his arms. The trip back to the beach isn’t long, which surprises Lio. He could have sworn they’d travelled out so much further. It’s hard to keep track of direction out here. Lio is eternally grateful that he has Galo with him. He’d never find his way back otherwise.

When they resurface, Lio peels his mask off and takes a deep breath of air. He flops onto the sand with a sigh.

“Happy to be back on dry land?” Galo chuckles. He stretches out on the sand beside Lio.

“As much as I love swimming with you, I am a land-dwelling creature. I think I’ll always be a little bit scared of the ocean.” Lio admits.

Galo nods. “The ocean is pretty scary. You’re just lucky you’ve got the bigger, scarier Galo to keep you safe.”

Lio laughs. “I don’t know if I’d call you scary. The closest you’ve come to being scary is that time Gueira ate all the leftover pizza.”

Galo growls. Okay, the deep growl plus the sharp teeth might be just a little bit scary. Not that Lio would ever admit as much to Galo. 

“Don’t remind me,” Galo grumbles.

Lio huffs out a laugh and lets his gaze drift to the clouds for a moment. They drift lazily through the sunny sky, and Lio feels content. He looks back over to Galo. “Thank you for today. It was fun, even if I was a little bit terrified the whole time.”

“Having fun is all about stepping out of your comfort zone,” Galo agrees. He sits up suddenly. “Wait here, I have something for you.”

Galo vanishes back beneath the water before Lio can say anything. He’s gone for a couple of minutes before he returns with a large shell. 

“It reminded me of your eyes,” Galo explains, holding it out. "It's a conch shell." 

Lio takes it and turns it around. The outside of the shell is a rather unassuming brown. But inside, it’s a beautiful mix of pinks and whites. It’s _beautiful_. 

“I found it a little while ago, and I wasn’t sure if you’d like it. But then I noticed you looking at the shells today, and I—”

Lio drags Galo into a rough kiss, cutting him off. He pulls back with a gasp. “This is amazing! Oh my god, Galo, it’s beautiful! Thank you, I love it!”

Galo beams. “I’m glad you like it. It’s, uh, it’s a merperson thing.”

“What, shells?”

“No, I mean giving someone a shell. Or just something nice. It’s a sign that you want to officially court someone. I don’t know whether humans do that, I think you just call it dating, but I wanted to do it anyway.”

Lio stares back down at the shell with an even greater appreciation. “What does it mean?”

Galo blushes. “Well, it’s usually something you give to someone before you mate with them. And merpeople mate for life.”

“ _Oh_ ,” Lio breathes. “So, if we didn’t work out, you wouldn’t go and find anyone else?”

Galo shakes his head. “You’re it for me, Lio.”

Lio places the shell gently down on the sand and pulls Galo into a tight hug. “I think you’re it for me, too.”

Galo laughs and tightens his grip on Lio. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.”

Galo leans back to look at Lio. He carefully tucks a few strands of Lio’s hair back behind his ear. “I know I’ve said it before, but I’m really glad we met.”

“And I know I’ve said it before, but I definitely agree.”

“Does this mean we can get a bigger bath for your bathroom? It’s really hard to have sex in there without making a mess.”

Lio bursts out laughing. “I don’t think our landlord will let us get away with that, but we’ll see. The next time we move, I’ll make sure we find a place with a nice big bathtub, and something close to the beach, too.

Galo beams and flops back against the sand. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Lio smiles. He runs a hand through Galo’s hair, enjoying the rough texture that the saltwater leaves behind. Galo is truly someone that he could never have seen coming. But with Galo in his life, Lio couldn’t be any happier.

* * *

Lio keeps the conch shell on his desk. It easily becomes his most prized possession, and it never fails to make him smile. Galo continues collecting shells and other trinkets from the ocean for him, and Lio loves them all, but none quite like his conch shell. After all, it's basically the equivalent of an engagement ring. Lio knows that they probably won't ever be able to get legally married. Galo doesn't technically exist, after all. But that doesn't stop Lio from thinking about giving Galo an engagement ring of his own. Maybe one day, when Lio's writing really takes off and he actually has the money for something nice. Galo deserves the very best, after all. 

Meis, Gueira and Lio stay in their apartment for a few more months before their lease ends. After some serious apartment hunting, they find a place with the biggest bathtub Lio has seen in his entire life. It takes up a whole corner of the bathroom, and Galo takes great delight in defiling it with Lio on their first night in the apartment.

The bathroom even has a lock, so they can enjoy the afterglow for as long as they like. 

* * *

The beach is, quite possibly, Lio’s favourite place in the world. There’s nothing better than finding a deserted stretch of the coastline to explore. He loves the salt on the breeze, the thundering and crashing of the waves, the soft sand underfoot. It’s the best place to escape from the stress of daily life.

The beach is also the home of Lio’s favourite person in the entire world. As much as Lio loves tasting the salt of the breeze, he much prefers the taste of Galo’s lips against his own. As much as Lio loves listening to the crashing of the waves, he much prefers listening to Galo's voice as he declares his love for him. And as much as Lio loves the feel of hot sand underfoot, he much prefers the feel of water whipping by as he soars through the water with Galo.

Today, Lio climbs up onto his favourite rocky outcrop. It sits above the rest of the beach and offers the perfect vantage point to look out over the ocean. Everything feels endless up here. The water stretches as far as Lio can see, and he can almost see the curve of the Earth along the horizon. It makes him feel small. Out here, all of his problems are insignificant. For however long Lio spends looking out over the ocean, he feels free, weightless.

That’s until he spots what looks like a body lying on the sand just a little further down the beach. When he makes his way down to the man on the sand, Lio doesn’t feel small or insignificant. Galo’s eyes brighten the moment he spots Lio, and in that moment, Lio feels anything other than insignificant. He feels loved.

And he _is_ loved. Lio is loved, and he loves in return.

His life might be a little unconventional, and it might even seem otherworldly to the average person, but Lio wouldn't have it any other way. 

**Author's Note:**

> And that's a wrap! I genuinely have never worked on anything as hard as I worked on this, so I hope you enjoyed it! 
> 
> I may or may not have an idea for a second part, but I've only vaguely thought about it and it'll probably take me some time to get around to actually writing it. Stay tuned for maybe some more at some point in the future possibly!
> 
> Come scream about Promare with me [on Twitter!](https://twitter.com/that_is_yeet)


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